Till Death Do We Part
by ShadowTheCannibal
Summary: Something is wrong with Elizabeth, and it forces Meliodas to face an old ghost. Meanwhile, a strange plague starts targeting Druids and anyone around them. Melizabeth. Manga/Anime Spoilers. Partial AU. Language, violence, and sexual themes. Meliodas-centric. Rated M for reasons.
1. Chapter 1: Just Another Day

*This is a slight AU! Everything is the same (more or less)! This fanfiction contains elements from both Anime and Manga. The Sins are looking for Escanor, and the Coffin of Eternal Darkness has already been opened. Ban and King are already back from The Fairy King's Forest (as for timeframes, fuck it). The Sins are headed towards the Druids.

*Hibernia is the Latin word for Ireland… Britannia is the term for Britain. WOW, guess you never saw THAT coming, did ya~?

* * *

I know that I am a man of many talents. In fact, sometimes it frightens me. On a theoretical level, how good I can be at something can be defined by the worth I put into it. Sometimes I put in too much worth.

Like being dumb, for example.

I have played this game for too many years. For too many generations. The very act has somehow etched itself into my genes, and made itself _real_. But it's not. Over the years, I lost count of how many lives I've played as. It's like some mask I can wear so I can blind myself from the reality. It doesn't matter who I am at the moment. If I believe it's real, then some part of me can _make_ it real. A peddler, a farmer, a merchant, a blacksmith, a dragon tamer, a knight, a tavern owner- doesn't matter in the end. But, before I know it, I'll have a whole damn community of friends and loved ones at my beck and call and vise versa. Now it's all just a blur. I've played it all, see? I get… tired of it. It bores me. I get _bored_ from crying over loved ones. The anguish, the sorrow, and self loathing have been my best friends for a very long time. So I just smile and roll with it now. It's the most I can do.

I know that deep down, I find many things to be bothersome or mundane. The silly arguments between townsfolk when they get drunk, to the clash of swords from sworn enemy knights. It's all meaningless, really. More often than not, I find myself standing on the sidelines watching with great disdain at humankind's short and rather ditsy lives.

Speaking of arguments, two brutish men were standing in front of a farmer's market. Their eyes hardened to show bravery, their muscles pulled taut -over what I was sure was fat-. Their fists clench and unclench, waving around to explain their side of whatever they discussed. It was like watching two monkeys, the way they wave their arms and shout nonsense, brewing their testosterone like everyday tea just to show who's boss.

It was barely morning. The sun was just peaking the sky, only having been up for a few minutes. Despite the earliness, people were already out and about. This was the town of Dudley, I believe. I woke up this morning before everyone else this time, and took the chance for some quality me-time with great zeal. It's not everyday that I get to be alone. Those days are gone for now, I'm afraid. It was fun when I was traveling with only Hawk and his mom. I learned a lot from traveling that way, and got ear fulls of saucy stories and the latest gossip. Like a fine wine critique, I left no bottle, glass, mug, or cup undiscovered. I can still remember going from town to town when it was just me and Hawk. There was a strong sense of peace I got from the simple life of running the Boar Hat. There was no perpetual beseeching of young warriors begging for lessons in arms. There was no persistent demands for order or guidelines I was forced to follow. No constant apprehension or tension from enemy nations! I _loved_ going my own pace. My desired way of living has never been reached, but this was as close to it as I was getting. The ring of my shop's door opening as groups of merry men come in looking for a decent place to park their asses for a good drink was like watching spring unfold. The hearty laughter and scent of ale was something I found peaceful. It was so easy to break a smile at people while offering up a bottle of Vanya's best brew.

It _did_ annoy me to no end that they kept calling me 'young'. But, I was used to it. Besides, I wouldn't get anywhere with them if I punched someone in the face next time I was called 'the little guy'.

Yet, much to my disappointment, I knew that those days would never last long. The moment Hawk mumbled something about smelling rust, to the flock of intoxicated men stampeding out of my shop. I knew interesting things were going to start happening the second the old helmet fell off of it's wearer to reveal _her_.

I knew it was Elizabeth. I knew it the second I pulled her out of that armor. There was no mistake the second she opened their eyes. It just intensified things, really. Her long platinum hair was just as soft and as smooth as I remember. Her skin was just as pale and as unflawed. It had only been ten years since I last saw her- a period of time that can go as quickly as the beat of a hummingbird's wing for me. But I swear, it felt like I had entered another lifetime when I could finally grasp her womanly curves in my hands. To feel her flesh and massage it... and other things. It had been longer than ten years since I was physically intimate with her. Before Merlin's stealing of my power, Elizabeth was too young for things like this, so the best I could do then was look out for her, and love her as platonically as I could without seeing her as a daughter or a younger sister.

Now, Elizabeth wasn't a young child. Young, yes. But a young _woman_... Lady, really. It gave me such a high while feeling her up. Last time I touched her as intimately as this, Elizabeth was _Liz_.

I do miss Liz. She and Elizabeth could be polar opposites at times. I especially miss the way Liz got so damn _angry_ at me! Oh, _that_ was fun! Elizabeth, on the other hand, had a much different upbringing than her previous form. She was polite, reserved, and didn't _quite_ understand the intentions of my 'fondling'. Elizabeth was very innocent and naive in many ways. But what made me believe, sometimes, that Liz had come back from the past and would stand in Elizabeth's place, was their _strength_... The passion to save people and loved ones.

This grace of Elizabeth makes me sigh deeply every time, as if I could breath that passion into my lungs. It makes me remember her selflessness. Her fearlessness. Her elegance. Her nobleness.

Elizabeth is, and was, just as beautiful. And I keep on falling in love with her. Again and again. Time after time after time.

I enjoy seeing her blush. Seeing it bloom across her face is like watching a budding flower in spring. It's exotic. Almost so delicate, I joke with myself that if I touched her, she'd explode into a million petals. It'd be sweet if I could touch her all the time. But I'll take my chances and make this last. I'm also far from shy to say that it was hard to leave Elizabeth in bed.

As you can see, I can easily get distracted by the silverette who is currently awaiting on my cot- hopefully sound asleep.

I knew that I was so far into my own thoughts, that I barely had time to notice one of the arguing men stumble my way. With a light sigh at the tediousness, I sidestep smoothly.

"Watch it, kid!" the man grunts, waving me and other bystanders off. There's a woman who is standing close by, and she is obviously pissed. Her eyebrows are drawn down and together, with a tight frown forming on her mouth. With arms crossed under her bosom, she looks at the man who nearly trampled over her with red-hot anger. I can't help but giggle, and take a step back to view. Careful not to bump into anyone in the crowed, I stand off by a pair of young children.

"When will you two stop this nonsense!" the woman shouts, waving a finger at the men like a mother scolding a child. "Someone might get hurt from this _rubbish_ of yours!"

A man behind her steps into the conversation. "She's right! This is no place for a fight,"

"Don't tell us what to do, bitch," says the other burly man. The woman who first called on them barely looked taken aback, and continued to keep her head held high. Impressive.

"Scoundrels!"

Pretty soon a couple of other townsfolk joined the early morning argument, adding onto the aggression that buzzed in the air like a mirage on a hot summer day. It was interesting to watch the exchanges the townsfolk made, and I was already putting bets on the contenders of this battle. Two mugs of ale for me if the first woman wins, and an extra if her husband joins in.

And as much as I'd like to keep watching to see how this all plays out, I still need to get groceries.

"You gentlemen don't happen to be planning on stopping any time soon, do you?" my voice comes out as innocent as it always does. My smile is easy and boyish, and I know I've already won the hearts of the women in the crowd. One plus to looking so young is that I can swoon women easily, without worrying that their men will come after me. I can make a woman gush with glee, but in the end my 'courting attempts', if ones wants to call it that, is never taken seriously. Yet that fun little game is thrown out of the ballpark once people realize who I am. Before the battle with Hendrickson, people would run for the hills. Now, woman seem to bat their eyes at me and men seem to glare more. Oh well. Elizabeth is my woman, so I don't really care. Or have ever cared.

I continued to walk up to the two men; they look ready to take on the world. Cute.

"oo'-'the hell' you think you are, kid?" the man on the right, a tall dark brunette who spoke with a Hibernian accent, snarled out. I guessed he was around his early twenties. However, that doesn't give him a excuse to be roughhousing outside of the market place. His partner on the other land looked to be at his mid forties, and had the same accent. Best reason for their fighting is alcohol. But they obviously haven't been in my bar, so I must assume that: A) There is a bar here, B) They purchased their own ale, C) They're from a town over. They don't seem to be strangers to each other, though. The townspeople here obvious act like strangers to _them_. I deduct that they're visiting from a different town. So I can guess that this answers… well, anything is possible.

"Who are you?" I ask honestly, tilting my head to look at them from a different angle. The Hibernian man snarls again, and I have to hold back the urge to call him a bad dog.

"None of yer' business!"

Oh well. I tried to reason with them.

"Alright fellas, let's take this to the side, okay?" I say with a light heart, placing my hand on the forearm of the older man. He all but roars at me, but I dodge and tug him to the side. The younger, and more agitated, man follows begrudgingly.

" _Oh_ , young man, you can't _possibly_ think that you can reason with these fools-" a lady wearing a white and red rag-tag dress calls out. People here obviously don't know yet that I, Captain Meliodas, is, well, _me_. Eh, I'm used to it anyway. Besides, I don't know yet if this town knows that my crew and I are the good guys. Hopefully it stays that way. Having to move abruptly -again!- so soon would not make the five other sins too happy.

" _FOOLS!_? WHO ARE YOU CALLING A _FOOL!?_ " The younger man yells, with a voice laced with so much passion that I have to resist covering my ears. This man looks not only drunk and angry, but also… anguished? I could see a layer of what looked like terrible mourning and despair in his eyes, and I knew that something other than one too many drinks was the cause of this fight. I looked toward the older man, and saw something similar.

How curious.

"Common, fellas. My bar is just up ahead!" I said, continuing to drag them away. A small round of clapping follows us as I take them down the village path, both of them slobbering with dissolving testosterone and grief.

Dawn had set, and now the sun had risen halfway up the sky. The townsfolk continued on with their lives, and I could _feel_ that it just pissed off the men behind me even more. Now I was very curious.

"Where are ya takin' us, little man?" the older Hibernian man asks, tugging his arm out of my grip. I raise an eyebrow at this. "My bar, of course!"

"Bar? You?" the younger echos, a disbelieving chuckle leaving his mouth before he can say otherwise.

"Is that weird?" I ask. Hopefully my offensive thoughts don't bleed into my words. I don't get a chance to explain, for a loud squeal of a pig comes bursting through my tavern's door. The Boar Hat sat at the top of the hill, tilting dangerously toward the stoop. The door flew open to revealing the screeching animal who came barreling out. Hawk zoomed down the hill in a panicked haste with his hindquarters clenched comically, his muscles so taut that I bet if I threw a nut at him, it'd bounce back. I laugh watching him run off. Must be the runs again.

"A pig?" one of the men mumbles, and I wave it off with my hand. Opening the door, the two burly men walk in with now tired expressions, as if regretting their earlier actions. Now they seemed exhausted, and looked like they wanted nothing more than a good mug of ale and a place to cry out their sorrows.

"Ey, Cap'in~" Ban's voice echos through the kitchen, and I was surprised to see him up so early. He walks out while wiping grease down his apron. His early morning, easy-going smirk turns up noticeably, showing off his canines like a rabid dog would. Red eyes turn curious and calculating, and he turns his head side to side with laughable interest. "What did'cha draggin' in now, hmm~?"

The men go silent, seeing as now another player has slithered onto the scene. They would have spilled their beans for me if I was the only one here- a notion they probably guessed themselves.

"Don't worry, guys, this is Ban: he's the best cook in Britannia!" I said while aiming the spotlight on my friend. I beamed at the immortal with my brows raised, and tipped my head towards my company. Ban, having taken the hint, bowed from the waist. "Cap'in, you're too kind~"

"How about you go cook up some grub while you're at it?" I suggest, more or less demand, as I walk behind the counter to poor us a couple. Ban nods and waves his hand dismissively, vanishing back behind the door. The men sit themselves at the counter, looking like a pair of dogs who've wandered too far from home.

I had a inkling that this was the case.

"So-" I started, but to my surprised, was interrupted quite violently.

"We're from Parietum, in Hibernia," the older man states, a redness blotching the whites of his eyes. I hum a small note aloud, while sliding two mugs of foaming ale toward the men.

"I got as much. What brings you gentlemen all the way to Britannia?"

"Plagues," was the ragged reply from the younger, spitting out the word as if it physically hurt to say it. I quirk an eyebrow at this. Plagues? This was the first I've heard of such news. Before I could even get a word out to speak my concern, they rushed in to tell their tale.

"It just came outta nowhere-"

"Hit us like a fucking slap-"

"Wooh, slow down, fellas-"

"It was two months ago. We heard from some travelers up north that a cold of sorts had hit a village of Druids. We thought nothing of it at the time- maybe those white haired goons had 'iffed up a spell and gave themselves the sniffles…"

Druids? _Druids?_ Druids getting _sick?_ Was I misreading something over their foreign accent? I stood in my spot for sometime, processing what I had just heard. Druids were the mavens of healing- the masters of it. Their ways where even beyond me at some point or another. Not to mention, their powers are also extraordinary. It seemed like it should be a joke of some sort- Druids, getting sick. Ha!

" … Then we suddenly heard that this cold they had- wasn't a cold. It-it-'just killed them off! Then it spread. To neighbouring villages and towns. Fuck- so many people died."

"A plague that can kill Druids?" I concluded outloud, it sounding more of a question. I was still having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. But these men where showing no signs of telling a fib.

I blinked owlishly, wondering if I was still asleep, and this was all just a weird dream.

"Who's hungry~?" sing-songed Ban, who same swaggering out of the kitchen without a arpon. He slid two plates of eggs and grits down the counter, landing perfectly in front of the two men. They eyed it warily, before slowly opening up to the offering. Ban frowned at me from behind them, and I wave my hand. _I'll tell you later_ , I spoke with my eyes.

"Nice job, Ban! Go wake up the others too, okay?"

"Su-"

"I have already awoken, Captain," Gowther suddenly interrupted, surprising me and Ban for a split second before we relaxed. The pink-haired doll descended the stairs with a calm that only he could achieve. He sat down at the nearest table without a book, looking at the men as if they were a new species that had never been seen before. Gowther's strange antics were already the norm to us.

"Oh awesome, you're already up!" I greeted with a grin, while Ban mumbled a 'mornin' freak' under his breath.

The men were already done eating. They must have been hungry.

"Now, who are you?" I asked. The men shared a glance at each other before speaking.

"Patrick," the younger said mindlessly, while his elder introduced himself as Aralt.

"Well, Patrick, Aralt, are there any others who survived this plague?"

"Neigh," they said somberly. Ouch.

"Thank ya for the grub, but, we don't have anything to pay ya with," Aralt explained, placing his hands on the counter. He seemed much more relaxed than earlier, now having told his sob story to a willing ear. Even Patrick was more at ease. But now they seemed a bit tense- of course, it would seem like I would want money for giving them food and having to be dragged through their depressing -and shocking- autobiography. I sigh but wave him off.

"You have a pair of working legs, don't you? You can clean my kitchen as payment!" I said with as much joy as a five-year-old might have when it's his birthday. They look at me surprised, and a bit offended. Sure, as big and tough men like them, cleaning would be believed to be a woman's job. Sadly, the women here don't exactly fit that bill either.

"Oh, uh-"

"It's in the back!" I said happily, pointing toward the kitchen with a flick of my wrist. They grumble, but don't try to worm out of it, and head toward the back with slow heavy steps.

Ban frowns at me.

I wanted them here for a little longer- just to see what more info I can get out from them. It might not be my job to find out, but the death of Druids is enough news to turn even my head. And I knew that they would be back there for a while. Ban might be a good cook, but he is in no way, shape or form, a good cleaner.

"Why were those men being served before the tavern has been opened?" Gowther asked once Patrick and Aralt were out of earshot. I cross my arms and lean against a barrel of ale on the wall.

"I stopped them while they were fighting at the market. Caused some trouble, so I stepped in. Turns out, their homeland's been completely whipped out from a plague," I explain.

Ban puts in his thoughts with a sneer, "Plague? _Ugh-_ Hibernia is, like, a whole _damn_ lake awa-"

"-Ocean, away." Gowther corrects politely.

" _whatever_ \- If they're here, they must be fine. No plauge for us to worry about~"

"No, Ban. They said that this plague took down a whole village of Druids."

Gowther and Ban stare at me as if I lost my head. I could relate.

"Druids?" Ban questions skeptically. He plopped down at the bar with a frown, hunching over one of the empty mugs. His red eyes bore into me with suspicion. "Druids can heal anything."

"I know. G-" Gowther was on it before I could even ask. The male stood up and pushed his glassed up his nose, turning toward the kitchen door. His expression remained calm and unchanged, yet I could feel the small spark of interest- be it good or bad, who knew- flare from him. Despite me telling him to stay out of people's minds, he still seemed able to read them. But he never messed with them, so that was okay. Still, I felt no annoyance at this. Gowther was his own being, and I tend to leave it at that. "You wish for me to look at their memories?"

"Sure, but do it discreetly, alright?"

"Of course, Captain,"

I turn towards Ban again, sharing my concerns.

"Is it those demon bastards again?" He asks, reaching over the counter to poor some ale in one of the mugs. Like I said, Ban didn't have a knack for cleanliness. His red jacket strains at the stretch, and he grunts as he leans in for his intended prize.

He's in a vulnerable position.

I can't help it.

A giggle leaves my lips as I knock him over the head. Ban gave out a 'manly' yelp as he losses his balance, slamming face-first into the back of the counter while doing an awkward and painful sumersault. He groans, collapsing behind the counter beside me with his weight baring down on the back of his neck, curled in an upside down fetal position. I laugh lightly and pick up the mugs and a cloth. That fall could have killed a human. But, ya know, being immortal has its perks, right? Besides, no pain no game. Or is it 'gain'? Eh, both apply.

"Damn you~" I hear him moan.

* * *

"Oh! Good morning, Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth's voice admits from the stairway, causing me to look up from my mug-cleaning to see her skip down to the main room wearing my signature tavern uniform. Her hair bounces in the early afternoon's light, looking cheery and bright. As if to signify her good mood, her one lone earring sways and catches the light like a beacon flashing in the dark. Her youthful energy is a beautiful thing.

"Good morning to you too, Elizabeth! Did ya' sleep well?" I say with a smirk. I can't help it. My mood brightens at the sight of her- seeing her so happy and healthy. I couldn't see any obvious blemishes, wounds, or scars on her, and on this fact alone I knew I'd have a good day. Elizabeth was protected and safe, without any known harm coming her way. Knowing she's doing well was the highlight of my life. It was the one thing that I aimed for in my existence.

"Yes, thank you!" My, my, she's not in a good mood- she's in a _fabulous_ mood.

Fabulous.

The smile on my face widens, and I nod my head towards her. Elizabeth was all bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. She puffed out her chest with what looked like pride and joy, and her pink blouse looked ready to burst from her swelled bosom. Her cheeks turned the same shade as her shirt, and I phantomly feared she'd pass out from lack of oxygen. The blue-eyed girl came behind the counter and asked if she could help with anything, so I gave her the task of cleaning the tables. Naturally, she jumps in without question or complaint and sets to work. I chuckle and watch her move about the tables while she greets the others with buzzing energy. Ban was back on his feet, well his _butt_ if I must be specific, and was sitting at the counter while splaying his torso and face across the wood. Merlin was up too, and was currently sitting at the other end of the counter while sipping some fancy tea. She cooed cheekily, "Why, good morning, Princess!'.

"Hell, who fed the happy pill to her?" Ban asked Elizabeth indirectly, lifting his head up off the counter so she could clean his slobber off as she walked by. He was on his third mug this morning, and I had a itch that today was 'one of those days' for the red-eyed man. Not even an hour into the day, and he's already trying to get drunk.

"You wouldn't understand. She's a morning person!"

"Pfft, morning people are mentally impaired,"

"Well, if Elizabeth is mentally impaired, then we're _all_ insane!"

"heh, says the man who decided to put this band of insane idiots together~"

I gasp as if I've been wounded, and throw my hand to my chest, clutching myself as if in great pain. I stumble across the walkway behind the counter, sobbing pitifully. Elizabeth, sweet, sweet Elizabeth, didn't catch on my joke as quickly as anyone else would've, and squeaks out nervously, "S-sir Meliodas-?"

"Elizabeth, comfort me!" I cry, crouching down to the ground in front of her. I balance my weight on the balls of my feet and reach up to grasp her plush bottom, all the while pressing my face into the heat of her crotch. She was very soft here, and my nose brushed past her underwear as I breathed in. I _did_ do this just for laughs, and Hawk's angry yelling never got old. I could hear Ban grumble at my actions, and the pair of footsteps leaving the kitchen- too light to be from the Hibernia men, so it must've been Gowther. Merlin even laughed- if one calls a breathy huff a laugh, that is. Yet, as I breathed, I noticed I caught a new scent.

I knew what it was. It wasn't blood or anything else a woman's body expels.

I had a name for such a smell. And I was certainly old enough to have experience with this smell. But this was the first time I had caught it on Elizabeth- Well, _this_ Elizabeth. I took another huff and accepted another pat on my head from the princess, before stealthily letting go and standing up. I turn toward Ban who gives me a frown and a shake of his head.

"You're a weird one~" he singsongs softly, taking another swig of his drink.

I stood calmly. I didn't want to speak right now. if I did, I don't think I could contain the confusing thoughts that ran through my mind. I faintly feared that something had happened to Elizabeth while I was while, today or some other day. But what I found odd was that what I smelled was something I should _not_ have found on her- in this current form of hers, that is. First off, it's impossible! And I know we haven't ran into anyone who's _expecting_. She's still a virgi-

"Meliodas likes to hug Elizabeth while kneeling. Is this a new form of endearment?" suddenly asks Gowther, who is looking at us curiously while bent at the waist. I don't respond, only cross my arms with a easy -forced- smile. Ban gags in surprise at the Goat Sin's appearance. Merlin only sits quietly, sipping her tea like she knows every damn thing. Despite her personality, she's a help. Mostly. I'll have to speak with her later. ANYWAYS- Gowther's naivety really doesn't live up to his age. Something to laugh at, I guess. The pink-haired man walked over to the black-haired mage and quietly sat beside her. He pushed up his glasses before speaking yet again.

"Patrick and Aralt where speaking the truth. They are also done with their payment in labor,"

Speak of the devil. The two men walk out from the kitchen with sweaty palms and faces. Their shirts cling to them in damp, musty body odor. Aralt looks directly at me with a frown, "It's done," his mood then shifts and he gives a smile. "Thank you, again, lad,"

"No problems, fellas," I said. Not really to my surprise, my voice comes out quiet and strained. Everyone besides the Hibernia men throw me confusing glances. Even Ban notices my oddity. He quirked a brow at me, silently questioning my behavior. I wave them off.

* * *

My bar was buzzing. So was my nerves. People laughed and clanged mugs, and the doorbell rang every other minute, signalling another mini wave of thirsty patrons. I was quiet, only speaking when necessary, and served the alcohol with mundane appreciation. The Boar Hat was awfully busy tonight, so it was all hands on deck. Diana had taken one of her shrinking pills and was helping out the princess with waiting tables. Even Gowther pitched in, even going as far as to wear the uniform again. When I confronted him about it, telling him that it was fine to wear his normal clothing as long that it's obvious that he's a waiter, he merely shrug and said something along the lines of 'if I am a waiter, then I am required to wear the uniform, like a waiter.' King was helping out by serving the outside tables along with Merlin, who gave a surprising amount of eagerness to help.

"EY'- Got another plate here!" Ban yelled from the kitchen, followed by several pots and pans clashing together with the sizzle of a fire.

Elizabeth responded in kind, "Ah- um- coming, Sir Ban!". She dashed to the kitchen while clutching her tray, not bothering to pay attention to anything but her current goal. Luckily everyone caught on to her prone clumsiness and moved aside.

"Careful, Elizabeth. Don't trip and break your ankle, now!"

"Ah! I won't, Sir Meliodas! I promise!"

* * *

Elizabeth broke her ankle. The irony of it was ridiculous. I kept hitting myself over the head, cursing my lack of supervision. However, the princess still smiled like it was fine- I think she thinks she deserves it. Her publicly announced low self-esteem was painful.

"Ahh, it's-"

"Stop fidgeting!" Hawk mumbles through a mouthful of bandages. He wraps her ankle up skillfully, careful not to hurt her anymore. Elizabeth just sat quietly at the foot of our bed, trying to hide the tears that glistened in her eyes. She wipes them with the backs of her hands,visibly forcing the pain down. She was tough, I'll give her that.

"I wish you could use that goddess power of yours on yourself!" Hawk cried, finishing the dressing off by adding a little bow. Elizabeth beamed at the pig and thanked him again for what seemed to be the tenth time. "It's okay, Sir Hawk! I can still help out-"

"No, Elizabeth. You need to prop your leg up so you don't damage it anymore… I'll be your nurse maid!"

"Oh, no, you don't! You'll be hornier than a damn toad if you get advantage of Elizabeth's vulnerable state!" The pig squealed. I let my frustrations out by grabbing his cheeks, pulling him up in the air.

"Wanna see if pigs really can fly?" I ask Elizabeth, giving my usual smile with enough merit to make it with. She blushes and raises her hands as if to stop me, making Hawk cry with appreciation at her kindness. Shrugging, I drop him carelessly. He runs, stumbling, to Elizabeth while oinking out some nonsense between his blubbering.

"ELIZAB-" he doesn't finish his exclaim, and is interrupted with Elizabeth's sudden loud cry of surprise and pain. She flinches and jerks her leg- the left one- to protect the wounded ankle in poor attempt. Too late.

Elizabeth getting hurt is something I try to avoid like the Plague. It's what makes my blood boil. Literally. It makes me remember what I am. Who I am. What I can do- And, with my current thoughts, she needs to stay within my eyesight _at_ _**all**_ _times_. With her getting hurt by just waiting on tables, I was _seething_ at my seams. This room was starting to feel very small.

It was nothing new when it came to my reaction at her cry. I've done the same damn thing for three thousand years. Nothing has changed with me, but… with _her_ , in _this_ form, I'm not so sure. Something was up, and…

I don't want to think about it.

"Wow, there," was my response, grabbing Hawk's tail and slinging the pig across the room to the bedroom door, where he landed with a high-pitched squeal louder than a dragon roar. He cried, having already realized what he'd done. His tears were coming in streams, huffing with apologies.

"I'M SO SORRY ELIZABETH! I'M NO GOOD TO YOU!"

"Ahh, i-it's o-ok-"

"Hush now, Elizabeth. You need to rest now, alright?"

"...Alright, Sir Meliodas."

* * *

"Merlin, we need to talk. Now."

Merlin looked up from her glass of ale and gave me a weary lookover. She regarded me with hazel eyes like a large cat studying it's prey with tranquil annoyance. Though, she broke and gave a smirk that slowly spread across her face. She stood up from the bar and swaggered over to me by the stairway, waving to the other Sins -who where celebrating after a good night of selling booze-, who watched us leave curiously.

Without bothering to hear what they have to say, I rush up to the tiny attic where Merlin and Gowther bunk. Trusting her to follow, I speed walk into the room and throw myself down on a chair. It creaks loudly.

"Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before you asked for my help-"

"Be quite and listen,"

Merlin went quiet like I asked. Her easygoing persona falters for a _split_ second. Then, with as much momentum like the change in seasons, she flashes a smirk so mischievous and so horrible that I must yell inwardly to myself so I don't rip her face off.

"Oh my, my, my. Someone's angry~"

"I smelled it-"

"This isn't about the Druids?"

"- _No._ "

The Mage sits down at the old rickety table covered in books with foreign languages, leaning back slyly. The lighting up here was not the best, but the dark unholy glow of my eyes was enough for me to see with. Mice scurried in the walls, and some part of me that was still sane made a mental note to exterminate soon. Merlin tucked a strand of hair behind an ear and clicked her tongue, "I'm all yours, Captain,"

The tiny sane side of me died.

"...I smelled- I _smelled_ -"

" _Pardon?_ You smelled _what_? Tell me, Captain. My talents can only go so far~ If you want me to read your mind, you should have asked for Gowt-"

I was breaking. The only thing that truly manages to calm me down was Elizabeth- but I doubt I could even sit still near her, while knowing something was wrong.

"I smelled _baby_ on her!". Merlin purses her lips and eyes me suspiciously.

"Baby?"

She was at a loss for words, and looked me over with confusion. _Good, let her be in the dark for once_.

"Pregnancy hormones,"

"...Pregnancy hormones?" She turns her frown over quickly. With a laugh and a flip of her hair, she leans back farther in her chair and crosses her arms, "Well, Captain, that is _exactly_ what happens when a Mommy and a Daddy come together and-"

"Elizabeth's a virgin, Merlin."

For once, Merlin doesn't have anything to say.


	2. Chapter 2: Love is Hard to Kill

A/N: You hathed asked for more. You hathed received.

* * *

If someone asked for my opinion on love, I don't think I would be able to give them a decent answer. On terms of 'love', my points of view can range as far as the sky meets the earth, to a meaningless speck of dust floating in the wind. Sometimes I relish in the relationships I have made. Other times I wish I had never met certain people, knowing I'd get attached… knowing it would never end well.

Elizabeth is another matter.

I would throw myself down on the sword for her, without a second thought or complaint, if it meant she'd be safe. Elizabeth was the _one_ thing I held above all others. All seven of my old, sorry hearts beat up a storm when she's close. My blood pounds faster than a Goddess's wing beat when I hear her in pain. I have enough energy from my hearts alone to roar like the beast on my shoulder. And I'd rip them all out for her with my bare hands if she wanted it.

Naturally I would want a reason for why she'd ask for my hearts- literally speaking, that is. Either way, I wouldn't worry about dying and _staying_ dead. I'd just come back with the same damn cheeky smile I've bared for over three millennium. Then I'd ask what I had missed without quandary. The issue on not being allowed to die is something else entirely, though.

However… sometimes, especially when I'm alone, I wish that I had never met Elizabeth. What would be different if I hadn't? What would be the same? I wonder what would have happened if I had never spared a second glance to her all those years ago. I certainly would not be here, sitting in the musty attic of a rickety old tavern. I, most definitely, wouldn't be having a staring contest with this lecherous Mage.

I wouldn't have to go through heartaches like a hungry goat goes through grass.

I wouldn't have to deal with _this_.

"Did the princess still emit the same smell when you last saw her?"

"I think so… I'll give her a checkup as soon as possible,"

Merlin rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, sighing softly as she buried her face into the white fur of her coat's collar. The little candle that sat among the mountain of books flickered from a draft until it blew out entirely. Even as the night's darkness covered us, we continued to sit in silence. The typically shrewd woman had yet to speak besides the one question she had just asked.

I uncrossed my arms and placed my hands on my knees, not even bothered by the fact that my feet barely touched the ground. Giving a sigh to follow Merlin's, I slowly slid off my chair to stand up. Its squeak was deafening compared to our solemn silence. Like a loyal dog hearing its master come home, the mage lifted her head up and looked at me dead in the eye.

"I want to hear about everything that happens to her, Captain," she says seriously, swiftly unfolding herself from her chair. Merlin fixed her coat and readjusted her shorts before speaking again. "Be it to where she is and with whom, to what color her piss is,"

"Well, I have to give a lady _some_ privacy!". My joke was light, but I knew the reasonings behind Merlin's request. In order to fix whatever's wrong with Elizabeth, we have to _know_ what's wrong.

Merlin easily caught onto my comedic relief and joined in by slapping her hand down on my head to ruffle my hair up. Her frown vanished like the wind and she flashed me her best boisterous smirk. Despite her flaunty behavior, Merlin was a true companion that looked out for my well being. Me, meaning not only myself, but the other Sins and everyone associated with us as well. This included Elizabeth. And now that I think about it, Merlin knows the importance of my relationship with the princess better than anyone else. It was sadly ironic that she of all people would understand. Even though Merlin was more 'lusty' than the Sin of Lust, she could care for people in her own strange way... These feelings of fatherly affection for her should be long gone, _but_ -

I let out a halfhearted growl of disapproval at her actions, and swat her hand away.

"I'll give my report first thing in the morning," was my final response.

* * *

Most of my crew was still mingling about, yet Merlin stayed in the attic -claiming to be tired from helping ' _wee sorry souls_ '- and continued to stay awake for most of the night. Do what, only goddesses knew.

While walking back down to the bar, I took a minute to check my surroundings. I focused my scenes on Elizabeth's presence in my room, and was pleased to find her heartbeat slow and steady. She was resting, just as I had told her too. Elizabeth might not be as headstrong as her previous incarnate, but she could still be as stubborn. When she listened to me, I worried less. Her being good and out of harm's way was something I would desperately need. If I wanted to figure out why she smelled like a soon-to-be mother, I would need Elizabeth's -and everyone else's- complete cooperation.

The others were downstairs, drinking ale and chatting softly. There were no other suspicious figures around the bar besides animals or townspeople. Even so, I couldn't help but feel like something was coming. Something I don't have a name for. The darker side of me was starting to rear its ugly head, so that's probably where most of my anxiety was stemming from. No matter, I just needed to ignore it and keep it sealed away. Yet, even as I fought this force of mine into submission, it kept prodding me. Poking, snarling, cackling, and whispering words of a tongue I have _long_ tried to forget- my subconscious' motive for why, I didn't know.

 _Maybe because you don't_ _ **want**_ _to know_.

Shut up, me.

* * *

King was already past out on Chastiefol, and snored softly just like any child would. His auburn hair stuck up in several directions similar to Ban's hairstyle, and part of his face was pressed into his green pillow in a pool of his own drool. He had failed to retire to his room or change into pajamas. But he was so far in Dreamland that I didn't have the heart to wake him. Ban, however, seemed to see the sleeping king's vulnerable state as a opening for attack.

"I'm gonna wake 'em up~-"

"Don't you _**dare**_!" was the fast defense on King's behalf. Diana was quick to protect her small friend, and she did this by slapping the immortal with the back of her hand. She swayed as she landed the hit, alcohol having greatly affecting her motor skills. Even though she was human-sized, and drunk, Ban still went flying across the room and smashed into a table.

I was more worried about the table than Ban, which cracked in half and collapsed under my friend's weight.

"Common, you guys, I thought we went over this... No smashing my bar into smithereens!"

" _CAPTAIN!_ Thank the _goddesses_ you're here!" Diana wailed the second she saw me, running to me with tears in her eyes. "Everyone keeps on trying to bother King! Make them stop!" I sigh as she embraced me in a bone-crushing hug. She smelled strongly of booze, along with several traces of sexually-frustrated men. I suppose she was the center of attention once Hawk and I carried a certain injured princess upstairs. Speaking of Hawk, where did that miserable swine run off to?

"I was not involved in trying to awaken King," Gowther declares bluntly, not bothering to look up from his intense study of a beetle that was making its way across a window seal. The brunette draped across me sobbed drunken alligator tears.

It was very, very tempting to grab a mug for myself and join my crew, but I had things I needed to do before I retire for the day. With Diana not bothering to notice me move across the room, I approach Ban with a casual smile to show that I come in peace. But even if I came up to him, while he's in this state, with horns and a tail, he'd barely bat an eye at me. The immortal, gargling on his own saliva, was splayed out across the two slabs of wood that I once called a table.

"You alive in there, bud?" I said, tapping his forehead with the back of my pointer finger. He twitched, squinching his face up in pain and intoxicated thoughts, before peeking open an eye at me. His wide pupils could barely focus.

"...Elaine?"

"Sorry, man, I don't have boobs,"

"~eh,"

If I wanted to figure out anything, before approaching Elizabeth, Ban seemed to be my best first step. He was already up by the time I got back this morning, so if anything weird happened _besides_ Ban getting up on time, he would know. However, he was currently so drunk that he could barely stand. I sighed my frustrations out and wrapped an arm around his neck, turning my head towards the three other Sins. King was still sleeping, undisturbed, and Diana had decided to join him on Chastiefol. Gowther was still at the window doing his own thing. With my attention now on the pinkette, "Gowther, did anything strange happen while I was away this morning?"

He wrinkles his nose briefly. That's the most facial movement he's done within the last two weeks.

"I was awoken this morning by Ban; he was making too much noise in the kitchen. Ban was awoken by Sir Pig, who was demanding breakfast from him. I do not know of anything else out of the ' _norm_ ', Captain, that should be of worry,"

 _Damnit_.

"Alright, thanks buddy!"

"I am pleased that my observation skills are of use to you, Captain,"

 _Sure_.

"Cool,"

With Ban in tow, I grab King and his pillow and make my way upstairs. Diana was still sleeping. I didn't think her shrinking pill was going to last much longer.

"Oh! And Gowth-"

"Should I take Diana outside so she has enough room to grow back to her original size?"

"You got it!"

* * *

I wiggle my hips and push down my pants, and let them fall to the floor in a heep. I throw my vest off along with them. While dressed in only my white dress shirt and boxers, I prepare myself for sleep. _And other things_. Kicking my pants and vest to the corner, I finally look at the figure laying out on my bed.

Elizabeth was on top of the covers, with her hands held together over her abdomen. She wore her pink nightie, an innocent thing with white ribbons adorning the collar, sleeves, and ends. Her chest rose and fell with each quiet breath she took. She looked like a fairytale princess trapped in an eternal sleeping spell. Like this, she seemed locked up in her own little world. Hiding away from the real world's horrors. Her sleeping self was peaceful, calming, yet Elizabeth still managed to send a powerful chill up my spine like the tide on a full moon. This was a common factor in every incarnation she took. It never failed to amaze me. Really, I could stand here all day just gawking at her. With her being so still, so vulnerable, I could admire her beauty without planning out my next slippery comeback.

I, for just a little while, forget about everything else.

...But now I need to figure out what's up with her.

Slapping my cheeks back and forth to wake myself up, I slip into my 'serious' mode. Before, I send an inward growl at my 'darkness'- it's _still_ trying to annoy the living hell outta me. I then make my way over to the bed. Elizabeth's left foot was propped up on my pillow, wrapped up in Hawk's skilled tailoring-ship. Truthfully, I was surprised Hawk hadn't come to tie me up yet. I suppose the pig was keeping his distance after he accidentally ran into Elizabeth's ankle.

The little sane and logical side of me, currently fighting the scales with my darker force, mumbled something. _I am using excuses not to examine Elizabeth_... I don't want to find something that I can't fix.

I can't- _I_ _won't_ \- let her leave me so soon after finally getting her back.

The darker side of me practically _shrieks_ in response.

I know that I was avoiding this like a child. I also know that I was being immature. But if I want to find out what's going on with her, and why she smells like she's _pregnant_ \- Well, I need to face this sooner than later. My control was quickly unraveling, and I knew the consequences I would face if I let myself slip. Knowing something was off with her, and knowing that I don't know what to do, was the breaking point in my tention. Time to man the heck up. I had to figure this out _now_. Yet, where do I start? Begrudgingly, I take a long inhale of the room.

The scent of motherhood was in the air. It was thick and heavy, like early morning fog after a rainstorm. And like the dew, it was everywhere and unavoidable. It clogged my nose with sweet, milky pheromones that left a sticky aftertaste of flowery pulp in the back of my throat. My vision flickers as a sudden wave of exhaustion comes over me. For the tiniest second, I feel my control loose to that darker force of mine.

Yet, the room suddenly stopped feeling to small. It was starting to feel too _big_. Rather violently, I get the feeling of being helpless and lost. _Dread_ \- I felt _dread_. And I started to feel _sick_ from it.

I don't know why this smell is there. And I'm getting annoyed by it.

At sensing my presence, Elizabeth's hands disjoint and she stretches them over her head. A soft whine leaves her lips, and I can't help but chuckle sadly. Even sleeping, she was beautiful beyond words. With her in mind, I manage to take back my resolve. I sit down on the bed and lean back on the headboard, reaching out to touch her. As softly as I can, I tap the tip of my left ring finger at the center of her forehead. Slowly, I drag my finger down the bridge of her nose, then curve off to touch the plumpness of her lips. Pressing, I dip into the warm cavern of her mouth. Elizabeth moans softly while turning her head towards me.

She seemed more sensitive. I wasn't sure if that was good news or bad.

 _Motherhood_. It's such a _delicate_ time, afterall.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and gives out a strangled scream. Like a chain reaction, I jerk my hand back and gasp myself at her sudden fright. Instincts flaring, I search the room for any signs of danger. Finding none, I calm my raised hairs and return my attention to her. I raise a concerned eyebrow at the princess in my bed.

" _AH_ \- oh, ah, S-sir Meliodas?" she nervously questioned, her eyes wide and teary. I bring my hand to her hair and pet, wiping away a wayward tear with my thumb. She responds appropriately without pushing me away.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

She closed her eyes before answering,"... yes,"

"It's alright, Elizabeth. I'm here,"

She looks back up at me through the silver strands of her hair and attempted to scootch closer. I always had a spot for her in my arms, so I didn't think anything of it as she sought me for comfort. Yet with my thoughts on several other things, I failed to remember her injury. Her surprised gasp of pain brought me back, however. Within the next two-three minutes, we palely bicker, quite pitifully, around each other as I work to get her comfortable again. With me mindlessly scolding her about taking better care of herself, I practically had to wrestle with the girl to get her under the sheets. Other than that, I promised to have Merlin look at the break in the morning to see if she could set it. Finally, after what seemed like a whole generation went by, we both let out a defeated huff when we were settled. Elizabeth slowly readjusts- using her knee- her injury on the extra pillow at the foot of the bed.

"But you need a pillow too-".

I groan, but smile none the less. Maybe I should take back my opinion that Elizabeth wasn't just as difficult now than in her previous life. We're quiet for a few seconds before I speak up.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to find a new one!" And just like that, I plop my head down on her breasts, planting my face right between her soft, womanly mounds. Her reaction never gets old. Yet Elizabeth has had enough teasing for the day, so I heave myself off of her and settle down next to her on her pillow. We sigh again.

Then I remember what the matter is at hand. Like day turns into night, my mood darkens. _Oh goodie_. I turn my face away so my bed partner can't see. Taking a breath, I call for her while turning back.

"Hey, Elizabeth?"

"Yes, Sir Meliodas?"

"... Has anything weird happened to you today? Besides breaking your ankle, that is,"

Elizabeth's crystal blue eyes search my face for answers to her internal questions, and I feel her trying to figure me out like I'm the biggest enigma to ever grace the planet. I know this look- she's given it to me at least once in all of her lives. I was used to this look. So, I leave her in the dark. Somethings _are_ better left unknown... Now, don't look at me like I'm the bad guy! Elizabeth was my light- if she saw what laid beneath my innocent face, I don't think she'd see me as the same Meliodas. I knew she wouldn't run away- that was for certain. But...- even then. I'd rather her think of me as some angel from heaven than a demonic spawn born from the death of innocents... Which that is not entirely an exaggeration.

"I don't understand…?"

"Oh, I dunno- like, see any crazy magic men floating around lately?"

She sputters a poorly concealed laugh. Well, at least I can make her laugh, right?

"Crazy magic men?"

"I take that's a no?"

" _Haha_ , yes, Sir Meliodas, that is a no," Elizabeth looked genuine when answering, and held no nervousness that might signal me to think she's hiding something. Well, she doesn't know of anything to be alarming, worth mentioning, or concerning. So I'll have to give her a physical… Oh, nothing _bad_ , I promise!... I hope.

"Hmm… any tingling in your boobies?"

"Wha-"

"Any discomfort when I squeeze here? Or how about over here-"

" _Sir Meliodas_!"

* * *

Elizabeth was sleeping soundly again. Her mouth was parted slightly, and every so often she would mumble something incomprehensible into the darkness. Her breasts, while always perky and a great source for distraction, seemed to draw my attention in more than normally. After giving them both a good squeeze -yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was not _just_ using Elizabeth as a plaything- I didn't find much material for decent answers. One thing I knew was that she seemed _brighter_ than normal. Her behavior this morning didn't catch me off guard besides the foreign smell. Let's also not forget that I failed to notice that her bust was more busty. Yet even with those two little details, nothing really screamed, 'I'm pregnant!'. Even when I gave specially attention to her nipples- perky, but none of that sappy motherly fluid came out. So, that's good, right? Either way, women don't start producing milk the moment they do get with child. As I laid out beside her with my head propped up on my palm, I debated over the evidence I had: Elizabeth is oblivious to whatever's happening to her body. She was more energetic than normal. Her boobs seemed fuller. She cared the smell of an expecting mother. _However,_ she was still 100% virgin. Untouched. Innocent. Never been with a man, before (at least not in this lifetime). She wasn't producing milk (smelled like it, but wasn't _making_ it)... Didn't have any 'infant auras' floating about her for some baby about to pop out.

I plan my next set of actions.

I pull my legs under me to sit up, careful of the creek the old bed makes. When all is quiet yet again, I descend down to her waist. Her chest rose and fell with every slow breath, and she slumbered peacefully, unbeknownst to my snooping. With only the gingery-est of actions, I slowly slid my hands under the cover. My fingertips grace over the curve of her upper thigh, practically shaking with how slow I was going. I felt the cool satin of her nightie under my callused touch, and for the first time in three millennium, I felt like a _real_ pervert. Shrugging it off, I cautiously pulled on the material, sliding it up her leg, then copying it with the other side.

Elizabeth hummed and attempted to move, but I gently held her down- she is injured, after all.

Secondly, I pull back the covers a bit more so I could see. Daring to tap into my more supernatural skills, I allow my more nocturnal-self to make itself know. And just like that, I could see a bit more clearly. With my hearts pounding and more concentration applied to keep off my ill-willed subconscious, I slid Elizabeth's nightie up a few more inches past her pelvis.

Really, the only good I see in doing this is to catch a little eye-candy. After all, it's not everyday one gets to partially undress a princess! Going back into business, I gingerly hook my right pointer finger over the elastic of her panties. I pull just a corner of her undergarments down, just before pulling myself down as well.

With full seriousness and concern, I place the tip of my nose at her lower waist, and slowly but surely trail my way down to the the hollowed dips of her hips. Right over where her ovaries were, I breathed in like my life depended on it.

Elizabeth had a natural fragrance that I could whiff out from miles away. It hasn't changed since the day we met, so that made it hard for my younger self to just try forgetting about her. I knew her scent like the back of my hand, and I knew that when something was off, even in the _slightest_ , I'd know by my nose before my eyes.

Elizabeth smelled like lavender; freshly bloomed during a hot spring's night under a full moon. I can also smell crisp, calm water at a mossy pond, shaded by weeping willows of varying types. Elizabeth's smell was like the _gist_ of innocence and kindness; a smell, a feel, much less an act, that once made my stomach churn in disgust. And, oh ho ho, don't forget the underlying tones of sweet honey made from the sharpest of roses! I could smell white fluffy clouds that shade sleepy little villages filled with laughing children lying about without a care in the world. Their mothers calling from tiny little mud huts wafting aromas of supper. Their fathers chopping wood, huffing and panting as they cop, _cop_ , _**cop**_ \- Infants giggling, whining, crying, _**screaming**_ _**bloody murder**_ at the top of their brittle little lungs while their brothers and sisters are being bashed over the head w-

What in sweet hell was that.

No, no, we're not going _there_.

Elizabeth was Elizabeth. Simple as that.

Back to inspection. No more distractions. _**Now**_.

* * *

The morning came with a slow tiredness that reflected how I felt. I was draped over the princess's waist, unmoving and uncaring. Well, I did care, but I felt so worn out that I didn't want to do much else than lay here with Elizabeth. She rested well, much to my envious subconscious.

My 'darker side', or my 'subconscious', was starting to become a second personality. And I will _not_ tolerate that. Every passing hour seemed to be an extra 'key' to unlocking my dark self's cage- a cage I worked so hard on making. It grew angrier, almost, pacing in the back of my brain like a anxious animal, growling and clawing at its walls. I was not only tired from lack of sleep, but trying to keep 'little olde me' at bay was mentally exhausting. Still, it wasn't much of a problem because I had the upper hand.

Elizabeth stirred under me, rolling her shoulders and stretching her arms over my back before going slack again with a loud exhale. I coo at her sleeping form before clumsily making my way off of her.

The pregnancy hormones seemed to be coming off of her in waves. In scheduled periods, like the tide. Last night when I first 'sniffed her over' she smelled only faintly of it, as if she spend a good bit of time around an expecting mother… while hugging her the whole time. But around three hours later, doing nothing but tossing and turning, she just randomly emits this **intense** shower of smells like its her favorite perfume! But she kept sleeping, peacefully humming as if she was dreaming of unicorns and rainbows. For all I knew, she probably was.

I had nothing to say to that, and only lied there gawking and gaging as the odor completely coated everything in my room. I wanted it gone.

Could the others smell this? Because I'm under the impression that I've unknowingly entered a poisonous gas war. Death by pregnancy pheromones. Yay.

Much to my relief, the wave dispersed steadily within a good ten minutes of it being produced. Now, I could only smell small traces on her.

"TIME TO GET UP YOU LAZY BUMS!" Hawk's voice squeals from downstairs, and I moan in defeat and fall back down. This time, half-spooning a still-snoozing Elizabeth.

The pig only waited for a second, before he speed-trotted up here like nobody's business. My door was thrown open in a panicked haste, and no sooner could I say 'good morning,' Hawk leaped up onto the bed with a look intended to kill.

"You PERVERT! I _KNEW_ I couldn't leave you alone with Elizabeth! What did... you do-" Hawk's yelling started to slow to a questioning stop, and he stood at the foot of Elizabeth's and mine's bed in a dip from his weight. He looked at me with questioning black eyes- like he's not quite sure how to ask what he's trying to ask for. His snout clenched and unclenched as he scented the air, and continued to look confused.

"Wa-"

"I don't know what's going on either, Hawk," I said honestly. He quirks an ear at this, and looks toward the sleeping girl beside me. Sniffing again, he starts to back up and off the bed. "Don't tell anyone bout... this," I motion to the room- more so, the _smell_.

I follow suit, and gently order him to wake the others up- immediately- and meet me outside. I'll tell the others I wish to pursue the Druid case. After all, as knights, it's our job to protect our country, right? But I have my own reasonings besides curiosity for going. Hopefully, if this 'plague' hasn't spread to the Druids here in Britannia, they can look at Elizabeth's condition. Hawk was surprisingly quiet, yet was still obviously confused. Huffing, the pig slowly leaves the room. _It's going to be a long day_.

Running a hand through my hair, I get dressed.

* * *

"...we're also gonna to be headed toward the nearest Druid dwelling. I just wanna check things out- make sure none of the Commandments are behind this. So, all in all, make sure you kiss your loved ones goodbye and pack up!". I stood on the yawning of the porch with my hands on my hips. The six Sins were gathered out in front of me in a little crowed.

" _Ugh!_ We just got here yesterday, Cap'n~" Ban whined, sitting half-awake on top of a boulder. He frowned sleepily at me and yawned before any serious staring could take place between us. Oh well, I guess I'll have to fight him later.

"It is a reasonable motive," Gowther says quietly, standing stiff while messily dressed. The pinkette was never a very speedy person outside of battle, per say, so I guessed Merlin threw his clothes on for him. Speaking of Merlin, she was sitting quietly against the railing, yet she smiled calmly like a black panther in wait. Our eyes met briefly, and smallest twinkle in her eye let me know she wanted to talk ASAP.

"Why can't we just stay here and get more information? Maybe more survivors will come around," Diana, now her normal height, says with a pout, yet hope laces her last words. She was squatted down behind the others on the balls of her feet, draped across her knees as if she's imitating a vulture. A large, colorful vulture, that is. She tapped her fingers across the bare skin of her knees, while hunched down as far as she can to get closer to us. Her looming figure blocked the early morning sun and its warmth, letting in a chilly wind from the south of us. I parted my mouth to taste the air. Maybe I'm just old and losing my sense of smell? No, because I can smell Ban's hangover from _here_ , the leather on Diana's backpack, Gowther's eyeglass cleaning agent, King's familiar sleepy-child redolence, and residue of old books on Merlin.

"Well, the Captain has a point. If the Commandments are indeed behind the deaths of Druids, it's quite obvious they're planning for some form of attack… Or power gain? But, the idea is still rather ludicrous... Do you think this might be a trap?" King speaks up, balancing on his toes on Chastiefol's spear form. Ban rolls his eyes and kicks back his head dramatically. "If that's the case, then let's just take our time getting down there~ No need for all the hussle-and-bussle~"

"Good for nothing…" The giantess glowers at the immortal with dark eyes. If I hadn't known any better, or had reason to be concerned for Ban's well being, I'd've stepped into their quarrel. So I chuckle as Ban yells out when a hand, much bigger than he, comes down upon him like a punishment from the heavens.

" _Gah~!_ Warn a guy before you smite him down, ya' crazy bitch!"

" _What_ did you just call me, shit-for-brains?"

"You heard me~ Ya'. Crazy. Bit-" It seems as though Ban is, yet again, bitten back after bitting the adder. Chastiefol was sunken into his torso like a stick speared into a fish, causing Ban to choke up blood as he couldn't finish his sentence.

Sigh. My crew- my pride and joy, right? I swear, they're like children-

 ** _But not_ _my_ _children. There's only_ -**

* * *

" _ONE!_ " Elizabeth cried out when magic residue curled around her ankle, making an audible 'snap' followed by a squelching sound. With unintended tears of pain creeping from the corners of her eyes, only then did Merlin stop working her magic when Elizabeth could take no more.

I was true to my word. Merlin came straight to me when I was done with this morning's announcements. After sending the others on busy work, the mage and I begrudgingly gallivanted upstairs to the slumbering princess. I knew all too well that Merlin liked to be tricky, and this was no exception. However, I had to remind myself, again, that good would come from _this_ kind of pain. Yet the second after we woke her up, said our 'good mornings', helped her use the chamberpot (Merlin shooed me out for this), cleaned her up, _then_ after allowing me back into my room like I was some returnee from exile, Merlin set up her 'equipment'. Without any warning, she said, "Alright, princess, when I count to three, I'm going to mend your break together. So, repeat after me, my dear~ _One_ -"

"Ah, alright! O-" Poor Elizabeth could barely say 'one' before she practically _yowled_ it out. Merlin had started when the white-haired girl was off guard.

"What was that for, Lady Merlin?" the younger girl shakily asks, rubbing her sore ankle. Her eyes were red at the whites, yet she couldn't stop a yawn to leave her before rubbing them too. She lowers her hands as the other woman response. Cheekily.

"If we _did_ set your break at 'three', you would have instinctively tensed up, my dear! When one is relaxed and off guard, the spell works better," I sigh at her antics, but felt a small spark of fondness for the mage swell in my chest. It was an old and familiar feeling, but I shook it off as best I could. Merlin's age was around, what, a millennium? She wasn't a child anymore.

Knowing Merlin, I expected something to be extravagant and overdone. She certainly was a showgirl, and if her clothes weren't a telltale sign of this, her use of magic was. To be honest, I thought she'd say something like ' _oh, well, i didn't know if this would work for sure- but it did so all is good even after i used you like a lab rat~! Love, love, all is good_ -' crap and all. But she used an old spell that even I was familiar with. I've used it myself before I gave up magic wielding.

This was Merlin's way of saying 'I know you're walking on eggshells, so I'll work on avoiding your wrath, Mr. Boss.'... Not like she hasn't said those exact words to me at some point or another. But that's in the past. This is the present. Shaking my head and pushing back my dark subconscious again, I turn to Elizabeth.

"How do you feel?"

"Better! Thank you so much, Lady Merlin!"

"I aim to please, dearie! Anything else I need to work my magic on?"

"Nah, I think she's good for now, Merlin. Elizabeth, why don't you get ready to go to town with me? I need to pick up a few items before we take off again," It was true that I needed to go to town, seeing that yesterday's expedition was paused. And grocery shopping was not getting in my way of looking out for her. With blue eyed now aimed on me, Elizabeth clasped her hands together and smiled in agreement. As she made her way to her chest of clothing, Merlin saying something to her out of my attention, then followed me out of the bedroom.

"I might not have your nose, Meliodas, but I could certainly feel something on her…" the ravenette says, presenting her palm out in the air as if she was beginning a speech. With quick and flaunty hand motions, she continues, "I can't tell if she's truly with child. However~ she _does_ give off the feel of a mother. I did some research as best I could, but I might just _have to_ make a trip to Camelot for more book access,"

I cross my arms and lean against the wall, my gaze lowering to the floor. The Boar Hat had old magnolia wood, and it was chipping, and I could bet it couldn't creek any louder every time someone sneezed. Returning my eyes to Merlin's, "Did you find anything of use?"

"...Perhaps," she hesitated while opening her mouth, her amber eyes glazing over as she regarded me, before randily returning to normal. "I read on some accounts of women of Druid or Goddess decent having children- they, even after dying and being reincarnated, still seem to have powerful connections to their offspring… But, I guess you don't know anything about that now, do you?"

My blood went cold.

* * *

A/N: I know exactly what I'm doing. And I regret nothing.

Mostly.


	3. Chapter 3: Learning To Accept

A/N: I have a random case of insomnia, so I wrote this instead of sleeping. Forgive me in advance for any grammar mistakes or typos.

* * *

Kids are funny things. They really were. As infants, they come into this world as screaming balls of goo and bodily fluids. The only thing they do is eat, sleep, poop, pee, scream, **repeat**. Yet their parents ooh' and aww' over them as if they were the most mystical and extraordinary being on earth.

Then the child gets older. They get some sort of personality. A development of survival skills. Like, ' _mom and dad_ ' means ' _safety_ '. Or, ' _I like this_ ' and ' _I don't like that'_. Then they start to walk- then _run_ \- then they think they know every-damn-thing, and that their parents are stupid dimwits. Rebellion. It's unavoidable. But even after being _violently_ dragged through such a _thankless_ job, the parents _still_ gush over their children. Such tedious work… raising a child.

Really. Just think about the strangeness for a second, okay? Two people come together, do the horizontal mambo, suffer through nine months (more or less), pop out an ugly, screaming, annoying, little devil and raise it _just_ so that it leaves without a single 'thanks for giving me shelter!'... And it's all for what? Heartache? Disappointment? Heavy guilt knowing you should've been there for your kid more often?

Unfortunately, I know _exactly_ how that feels.

I knew that someday this day would come. To be forced to face my past and come to terms with it. To remember how I failed as parent myself. I already know what's done is done, but if I could travel back in time, I would do either one of two things: try to avoid the mistake I made, or to prevent that _thing's_ birth all together.

I _still_ don't want to even _think_ about it. This was in no way, shape or form, something I needed to look back on right now. The only good I'd get from it would be a massive headache and a pissed off mood that I wouldn't be able to hide. My subconscious had been forcing me to remember what happened all those years ago. And I phantomly knew this. To be honest, I knew this from the beginning. From the second I smelled pregnancy hormones on Elizabeth, I knew that my most hated ghost was raising from its grave. What I feared the most was confrontation... Yet again, I was being immature. Like the child I looked like. _Like the child I was_. I avoided, prayed to whatever was listened to my sorry soul, that _this_ would never reach the light. Anything but _this_. At least, for as long as possible... I didn't even want to remember the look I was given when I abandoned my own chi _-_

I will never, for as long as I continue to breath, be proud to call _anyone_ my kid. I see it as more of a heavy chain than a title. Besides, Merlin can snoop and pick around the subject all she wants, but I'd never give her the satisfaction of knowing she has some kind of leverage or blackmail over me. If she knew about my past with Elizabeth, and the _thing_ that we made, she'd probably go berserk with glee.

Yes, I had a child.

But I killed it.

* * *

Around one thousand years ago, I rescued a woman and her baby from a rabid lion. Unfortunately, I failed to prevent all injury, and that woman died. She did, however, give me a dying wish. And because I was a man of my word, I agreed. That wish was to take her baby, the last natural born Mage, to the Druids for safekeeping.

That baby was Merlin.

And Merlin was being the same sneaky little leach she's always been. Hell, if I had known she'd try to be _such_ a pain in my ass, I would've never agreed to take her under my wing that day. And she _knew_ she was getting somewhere with me, because my silence was feeding her theories.

"Well?" Merlin's voice breaks through the tense silence. She looks down at me with deeply interested amber eyes, begging to know what secrets I carried. I could tell that the Mage knew she had the upperhand here, so I had no choice but to run away or defend myself. Keeping my secrets was second nature to me. Using petty lies and side stepping personal questions was a dance I knew all too well. But I wasn't a coward, and the seriousness of the situation couldn't be avoided much longer.

It was time to face my demons. But I wasn't ready yet.

With a light sigh, I uncross my arms and shove my hands into my pockets. "It was a long time ago, Merlin,"

"Then by all means, Captain~! Do tell!" She cheered, smirking from ear to ear. I frowned at her behavior, wanting to say something to get her to back off. This kind of power she currently held over me put me in a position I did not enjoy being in. I was tempted to rub it in her face that I changed her diapers once, but she was too young to remember that. Besides, doing that would be kinda mean anyway.

"I'll tell you everything, I promise... Just hold on 'till I get back from the market, alright? We need water... Are you dehydrated, Merlin? You're looking a little pale!" That was a low dodge, even for me.

Deflated, Merlin flips her hair back and bares her weight on one hip. "I need to know _everything_ ,"

Sure. Everything. Everything _she_ needs to know. Like I said, somethings are better left in the dark.

 _ **You're avoiding again**_.

I really need my subconscious to back off, too.

 _ **Fight me, bitch.**_

* * *

"Ah, are you alright, Sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth asked once we exited the Boar Hat.

The sun was high in the sky when we left, and the mid-autumn air clung to people's eyes and made them water. Townsfolk sniffled with the change in seasons, and it made people less apt to fighting- unlike the Hibernian men. Elizabeth, however, didn't seem to mind the cool air and walked beside me as cheerful as ever. She was smart enough not to wear the tavern uniform today, and instead clothed herself in a simple maiden's dress. The dress itself was modest: an off-white base with a frilly beige apron and violet-tinted cuffs. It came down to her ankles and the sleeves to her wrists, so I was given limited access to her womanly curves. I understood the change in attire, but a man can dream, right?

"Huh?" I respond innocently. My eyes, the size of dinner plates, stare intently on the cobblestone road as we make our way down to the marketplace. Hopefully, I won't have a problem entering this time. Dirt and pebbles crunched under our feet, droning along with donkeys and carts going by. People talked softly along with the few birds who dare to sing with such limited time till winter. Leaves collected across the ground, shuffled around by the chilly wind.

"... Is there something I can do?" she offers, uncertainty lacing her voice.

I pause and look up at her.

Elizabeth was not dumb- naive, yes, but not dumb. I do forget about that more often than not. It was a bad habit I needed to break. My youthful charms worked on a lot of people, some of those people being my very own crew. However, in every life Elizabeth took, she could _always_ see through my guard. I was more uncomfortable with that fact than proud.

She stopped walking as well and looked down at me with what looked like disappointment. I was shocked to see this look, and my eyebrows raise in agreement. To have this look directed at me, I felt a bit offended- and worried. I blinked and looked her over. The white-haired girl frowned, and her eyes seemed to do the same. Her body language told me that she knew something was troubling me, and she also knew that I was keeping it from her. Drat.

Oh well. She's a clever girl, but I can't exactly tell her that we're soulmates that lost a child over three thousand years ago. Not only would she have difficulty understanding, but she was far from ready to know about such things. And heaven forbid that I bring up that whole Goddess/Druid mother-and-child connection thing! She'd definitely get worried that something was wrong with her. When there wasn't (hopefully)! Or maybe she'll think that _I'm_ crazy. Elizabeth was also an Apostle of the Goddesses, and I didn't think those white-winged witches would appreciate me troubling her. But they've never appreciated me for anything, anyway.

She was better off staying out of it.

"What? Is there something on my face?" I ask, feigning ignorance, stepping closer to her while leaning up on my tiptoes. With my face dangerously up close to hers, she immediately blushed and averted my gaze. Yet still standing strong, she whispered in a husky voice, "No, Sir Meliodas, there isn't,"

With a childish pout of disconcertion, I fall back on my feet. I plant my face between her boobs once I'm level with them. Snickering, I listen to her bark in frustration. My subconscious enjoyed this as much as I did... At least we were on the same page at _some_ levels.

"Everything alright with _you_ , Elizabeth?" I muffled out, face now warm from the chilly air. I could feel her chest heave in embarrassment, and her heart speed up dramatically. She stutters out something incoherent. Nuzzling my face against her softness for a little while longer, until her hands come to rest upon my shoulders, I step back with a softer smile. I appreciate her worry, and I knew she was upset that I kept avoiding personal questions. However, she respected my unspoken wishes all the same.

Elizabeth tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding my gaze with shy innocence. She still bore a tiny frown on her face, and her eyes held a million questions. Questions I wasn't planning on answering. I didn't like to make her upset, but it was for the best.

"Common, Elizabeth! Let's go find some stock!"

"...Okay,"

* * *

"Sir Meliodas!" squeaked out the person haunting my thoughts. Looking up from a scrapbook of booze collection, I spy Elizabeth making a mad dash toward me in the crowded marketplace. She skipped over with a basket on her elbow, eyes bright and happy.

I had sent her off to pick up some herbs. Mostly, it was for me to clear my mind. But I did order her to stay close, and I was always looking up from whatever I was doing to make note of her whereabouts. She listened, and didn't even go as far as a sixth mile from me. She most likely would listen to my requests at any given time, but she could feel that I was on edge. So, she seemed to listen to my words more carefully. Her eyes told me.

"Ahh, hey Elizabeth! Whatcha got there?"

"I found some of those herbs Ban really likes cooking with," she presented, pulling out a jar of spices and other plant-related stuff that I don't really have the best knowledge of. If everyone liked it in some stew or whatnot, then cool. Honestly speaking, I didn't care much about cooking. I can't exactly taste human food, anyway. "And, um, I thought you might like this-"

Elizabeth held up a mug. Her hands held the object so delicately that I thought she had pulled out a rare and valuable glass item. Instead, she pulls out a mug. It was a work of pure craftsmanship- Ivory decorated the bottom edges, along with the dark cherrywood that made up its base. Small and insanely detailed figures were carved along its sides. I widened my eyes, and reached out to see for myself. It was smooth to the touch, yet heavy and strong- and it'd be able to hold a lot of booze, that was for sure!

"Wooh! Where'd ya find this?"

"There was a little stand by the herbs, and I looked around because the lady there said they were leaving soon- so, I bought it while I could! Do you like it?"

I didn't like it. I loved it. And I almost laughed out loud because as I looked closer at the figures carved on the mug, I notice that they were dragons. The princess has outdone herself yet again. However, I was more concerned with the smell she carried with her. The pregnancy pheramones were back. Surprisingly, not as strong as last night- but still, I felt dizzy and a bit pissed off. The scent still managed to leave a sticky residue in the back of my throat. When will this cycle stop? Cuz' I seriously wanted it _off_ my woman.

"Yeah- Thanks Elizabeth!" I smiled as sincerely as I could at her, but it felt strained and my eyes crinkle at the corners. I was so sick of worrying over Elizabeth. It was starting to affect _my_ health. The knots in my stomach get tighter, and I feel a heaviness settle within my chest. And for a split second, my seven hearts get out of sync. Kicking my head back to ruffle my hair, I placed the mug back into her basket. She must have bought the basket as well-

"The lady at the craft stand gave it to me," she explained softly, as if reading my mind. She shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously. Oh, was that a delicious look on her face, or what?

Shaking my head at my avoiding complex, I place a hand over her free one. She regards me curiously, but allows me to touch her this way without blushing.

"Have you eaten yet?" this was a question I was actually concerned about. She didn't eat breakfast before we left, so I bet she was hungry. Flinching as if she remembered something very important, she brightens up noticeably.

"I haven't, Sir Meliodas. But, I did see a small diner on our way here-"

Oh, no. Don't tell me I've been letting her starve! Gosh, did I even feed her last night...? It wasn't a surprise that she didn't even speak up about the matter. Elizabeth, besides the strange new chemistry of her body, was still Elizabeth: The ridiculously selfless princess. I _really_ needed to get my luggage together. With me panicking over her state of health, I barely thought of other things she might need besides me fretting over her. Mentally slapping myself, I lead her out of the crowd… Maybe she's just hungry, and this'll all go away once she gets a bite to eat? Even this theory had me sceptical to believe. By now, I was just grabbing at straws.

"Lead the way!"

* * *

"It's nice here," Elizabeth stated gently as we were seated at a quaint little eatery at the edge of town. It was small, but many tables line the walls and center-most room of the restaurant. The walls were off-white and severely chipped, and a huge crack ran up the wall beside me. A humble fire burned gently at a grand fireplace, crackling and snapping like a cobra in wait. The lighting was dim, but the fire and the large window in the front gave just enough to see with. We sat in the back corner in a tacky, purple-cushioned booth, looking over the tiny menu they had to offer. Elizabeth sat across me with her back held straight and shoulders taunt. Any other time I would've wondered what was making her so edgy, but I already knew why. She was at the top of my priority list right now, but I had to get my thoughts organized.

"Mhmm,"

"Um, Sir Meliodas?"

"Yeah?"

"How…-how did you like the mug?"

"'t's really cool,"

"Well, I am glad you like it,"

"Mhmm,"

I was having a hard time focusing on her. I was having a hard time focusing on my environment in general. This building was a bit cramped, but not too bad to be considered crowded. A young married couple sat in the booth behind Elizabeth with two small children. Behind me, a man grumbled about the slow servers. The tables were colored with solo parties and flirtatious lovers. I crack my neck and watch the waitress that was making her slow way to our table.

I could've just taken myself and Elizabeth back to the Boar Hat, and gotten Ban to whip something up for her. But unfortunately, I sent most of the Sins off to do some busy work. I had Ban go find some mushroom giants- to collect their skins for food, and their scent-glands for Diana's shrinking pills. Diana was ordered to make some new interior for the Boar Hat, and King went off to find firewood for the oncoming cold front. Gowther was just asked to read. As for Merlin, heh, who knows what she's doing? Probably doing some experiment, most likely something I wouldn't approve of if I was around, with Hawk.

A shiver that I'm forced to oppress runs up my spine. I nearly forgot about having to recount my past experience with 'reproduction' to Merlin. One advantage to being so used to handling human relationships was that my more calculative side worked as an involuntary muscle. It makes since now that I wanted to take Elizabeth out to brunch. Still, my subconscious was nagging at me again. I didn't want to bring up my more _despised_ memories to Merlin, but perhaps it will get my demonic intentions to back off. Merlin wasn't exactly my ideal preference for explaining my past too, but I didn't have a choice here.

Besides, it's not like my own past with Merlin would be brought up, and Elizabeth doesn't have to know about my- _our_ \- child.

Elizabeth pulls me back into the real world by placing her hand over mine. My hands were wrung together on the table, and I looked up to her in surprise. My thoughts are starting to get deeper, and darker.

"Welcome to Little Teacup Cafe! What would'ya like, hun'?" the waitress says with a sticky-sweet voice that made me quirk out my own smile. Pushing all of my previous thoughts away, I make myself remember that I'm spending some quality time with Elizabeth without the others' persistent harassment. I smile at the princess across from me before turning to our waitress. After telling her what we'd like, she nods and gallops away to whatever fairytale she crawled out of.

"-and then I realized that the bush I fell in was a home for skunks," The fair-skinned girl says with a shaky laugh, and I stare at her bluntly. She had been talking to me this whole time, and I hadn't listened to a single word she said.

I looked down to her hand over mine, which are still held tight together. I relax, and Elizabeth exhaled as if she had been holding her breath for a long time. Her shoulders sag now, and she looks at me behind a curtain of her own hair. She regarded me with contriteness and a crestfallen took that made me feel so disconcerted that I almost lowered my head in submission. However, she sighs again and her mood shifted from depressed and ashamed, to jocularity and apprehension. Elizabeth inhaled a long, steady breath before speaking.

"Sir Meliodas… something has been bothering you since yesterday, and I don't know what it is. I can't very well explain why, but I know you've been trying to keep me at arm's length. Please, Sir Meliodas, is there something I can do? Or, um, did _I_ do something for you to be like this?"

I stare at her. Completely deadpanned. Unsurprised, I knew she'd bring this up at some point. However, I didn't know how to handle a situation like this besides a pat on the head and a ' _it'll all be alright!_ '. But I'm still sitting here, staring at her and everything all together. Elizabeth always had the habit of stabbing me _right_ where I'm weak at the worst of times.

I usually had something to respond to her anxious remarks with, but with what's going on… I had no idea how to comfort her without lying.

"... Sir?"

"Yes, Elizabeth?"

"... Y-you're a very bluff man,"

What?

"I know you like to keep a calm environment, Sir Meliodas, and you do that by acting very at-ease. You also speak very positively, to the Sins and even me, and I admire that greatly. But, something is wrong, and I know you're not going to tell me what, but I'm still begging… I want to help you, Sir Meliodas, so, please, don't keep me in the dark like this…"

I break our stare and fix my gaze at our hands. Her other hand has come to rest over her first.

Elizabeth, my dear, dear, Elizabeth… she was my strength, and she was my weakness. But, oh, lookie here, she's not done talking yet.

"I swore to you that I would bear your sin for as long as I breath, and I don't regret my decision. I decided myself that I wanted to help you. And all I'm asking is for you to let me do that,"

Right now, it's just me and Elizabeth. I can't hear anything else but the strong, steady beat of her heart. My mouth, now dry in aw, parts so I can wet my lips. I raise my head to hers, and meet her intense stare with utmost seriousness.

Then I smile.

"You worry too much, Elizabeth," I tease, unclasping our hands to reach over to pat her head. I was given the closest thing to a glare she could muster.

Letting her carry my burden would only make it harder to live with.

* * *

A blood curdling scream ripped through the town as Elizabeth and I exited the diner. We both frozen mid-leave as a woman came running up the cobblestone path in a horrified manner. She was frantic, screeching about something with the palest look. If I didn't know anything better, I'd say she was a ghost.

" _Dead!_ " was the only understandable word I could hear, as she grabbed the first person to approach her. She shook the person by their shoulders, screaming and pointing behind her with tears running down her face. Her breath wheezed as she reach for the next person, waving her arms around frantically. Elizabeth was immediately concerned with what was happening, and ran to the woman.

"They-they-"

"Ma'am? Can you take a deep breath for me, please? What's wrong?"

"All of them! Dead!"

I quirk my eyebrow and trot up beside Elizabeth and the frightened woman. The woman was shaking, sobbing, and held onto Elizabeth who hugged her back awkwardly. She looked toward me for some sort of help, and I narrow my eyes in contemplation.

"Where did this happen?" I asked, hands in my pockets. The scent of horse dung clogged my nose, so I couldn't smell anything dead on the woman.

"Over-" she couldn't answer me, however, and was interrupted by several more screams of terror. This caused the woman to cry harder. I place my hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, told her to stay here with the woman, and went off in the direction that people were either cautiously walking toward or running like a headless chicken from.

I came to an inn, an old black building that looked like a paper-thin house. A man came barreling out of there and I have to sidestep quickly to avoid collision. Unfrightened, I made my way inside.

Four people. Four people's corpses greet me as I enter the dwelling.

The first body was laid out on the couch, frozen in mid-scream. It had to have been laying here for a month or two. This body was of a woman, laid out uncomfortably and as if she was in pain. Her skin was red and blotchy, boils all over her face and neck, and the smell of dread and fear laced everything in the room. The only light was a tiny candle on the table, and it was just about burned out from overuse. Someone had been here recently, or that candle would have gone out in last night's winds. In the rooms, I discovered the other three. Two men, and another woman, all in the same condition.

What bothered me the most was that the two men looked like Patrick and Aralt.

* * *

"No one will be coming in here for the entire night. I asked Gowther to stay with the princess-"

" _What?_ " I blanched.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a knot, Captain," Merlin chuckled, "I told him not to mess with Elizabeth's mind. I just needed him to have somewhere to sleep so we can use this room all night. Besides, if anything goes wrong he'll come to us. But tonight, we're figuring out what's going on with Elizabeth!"

I was not prepared for this. I wanted to curl up in a ball with Elizabeth and just disappear. This was not a situation I felt comfortable in, and Merlin kept poking that dragon. My darkness was getting harder to control. The room was starting to feel small.

And my thoughts were even _more_ crowded because a new threat was budding.

Patrick and Aralt; I had just seen them yesterday morning. _Everyone_ saw them yesterday morning. But just an hour ago, I found their lifeless bodies in a state that said they'd been dead for _days_. Was this the plague they spoke about? Or was some monster of unknown origin disguised as them? They said that this started with the Druids-

-then it spread to those _around_ the Druids.

Elizabeth could be considered a Druid.

"Of course," I strained.

Merlin was quick to respond earlier when I ran back to the Boar Hat with Elizabeth. She and I took the gravely concerned princess, who was begging to help in some way, to the safety of my room. King had returned from getting firewood, and chased after Merlin and I to the inn to investigate. Merlin and King both had not seen the Hibernia men themselves, but after fetching Gowther and Ban, they agreed with me that those men were, indeed, Patrick and Aralt. We could only stand in silence, mulling over possible reasons, none of us daring to say a word. Even Gowther was quiet, only choosing to take notes in his pad.

With nothing else to do, the five of us left the scene to the appropriate authorities and returned to the Boar Hat. Diana and Hawk had a million questions of course, and both nearly squished King in their excitement. I told Ban to take over while I brought Merlin upstairs- he knew as much as I did on this matter. Yet the Mage and I weren't going to discuss the strange happens that took place moments ago.

We were here to talk about Elizabeth.

After slamming the door, locking it, Merlin swaggered over to her desk. It was neat now, and the new candle resting upon the corner of the desk burned brightly. The books were organized as well, either resting along a shelf against the wall, or on the small pile presented at the table. I took the time to close the attic's tiny, round window before taking a seat. As if it would protect my story anymore.

"I'm ready when you are," she said, pulling out her own seat to face me. She sits backwards, and hunches over the back of the chair with her chin upon a palm.

I breathed in. The room tasted like dust and knowledge. I also detected dread, but it was my own.

"Well, for starters, I'm much older than I look!" Chuckling, I look toward the Mage for her reaction.

Merlin frowns and rolls her eyes, but doesn't move anymore than that. "I got as much. I've heard you talk about the Holy War from time to time- 'going on for three thousand years' and such. I've also heard stories that made me question your lineage."

Nothing escaped her, did it? Oh well…

Here we go.

* * *

I was the eldest son of the Demon King. After a thousand years of destroying villages and ripping the hearts out of young girls, I proved myself worthy, and I was appointed General. I was cruel, heartless, and got off on the pain of others. 'Meliodas' in demonic tongue roughly translates to 'Eater of Virgin Hearts'. I got that name because I was _exactly_ what it means.

When I was four thousand, eight hundred and twenty-one years old, I met… her. Elizabeth. Elizabeth the Goddess. The Goddess of Innocence, to be exact. Oh, and she lived up to her name alright.

As for the classical children's tale, the story of how the Holy War is won speaks about a demon and a goddess that fall in love, and unite the races and blah, blah, blah. If this is what your mama told you before bed, kiddies, then empty it from your mind. Because that is not what happened.

It certainly wasn't love at first sight when I first laid eyes on Elizabeth. I hated all Goddesses at the time. Heck, I had personal issues with the head Goddess herself! But with Elizabeth, I wanted to mount her, and mark her as mine. I had the hots for her- _bad_. I was obsessed. Lust- what I felt for her was pure, sick, _lust_. Now as I look back on it, I can't remember how we even met. We had made eye contact several times before a single word was spoken between us. However, overtime, I started asking myself why I wanted her in my bed so badly. She was beautiful, innocent, and one of the youngest of her kind. Despite our differences, something always seemed to pull us together. Sometimes I would spot her flying overhead while taking a walk. Once we ran into each other while in battle- I think that was when we first spoke.

"Don't kill me! Please! I'm not a fighter, only a healer!" she squeaked underneath me, blue and orange eyes ablaze with heaven's fires. She quivered and shook, so scared that I was drowning in her fear-pheromones the second I tackled her to the ground.

After thirty-eight years of spying on her, I finally had her in my grasp!

But, now what?

Play it out more, obviously.

"Oh? Why shouldn't I kill you? After all, we're enemies, right?"

"B-bu-" The terrified goddess could barely speak now. And here I was, thinking all those white-haired whores of the sky were all-knowing and pompous.

This girl was different.

"What's your name, missy? I'm General Meliodas of the Demon Clan, at your serves~"

She had only become more fearful of me. Apparently, I killed her best friend a few hundred years back. I didn't remember that, but my Goddess death-count was too high for me to keep track of. But anyway, the girl who I'd been panting after introduced herself as Elizabeth the Innocent. I could see why she'd have such a name. If it'd been up to me, I'd name her Elizabeth the Naive and Gullible. Because with just a few ' _sorry's_ and ' _i didn't mean too_ 's, even a ' _i know i'm a bad boy but i just need some love~_ ', I had her under my thumb. She actually _trusted_ me! Surprised by her nature, I let the Goddess go.

We kept 'bumping' into each other after that. I was certainly doing it on purpose, and I believe she was curious about me and did it on purpose, too.

There was this mountain called 'The Peak of Fortune'. There was a tiny oasis on top of it, hidden by willow trees and poppy flowers. We would met there every night. I don't remember how that became our routine, but what matters is that it did. I grew more positive outlooks toward her, even. Yet I still lusted after the Goddess. But, we would talk _every_ night. Just, talk, really… Sometimes I would bring her booze from exotic lands. Other times she'd show me some animal giving birth. I don't know better, but that was her way of saying 'I like you'.

Before I knew it, I fell in love with Elizabeth. We had known each other for fifty years when I first kissed her. Oh, goddesses, the _skies_ cried that day when I took her in my arms and made love to her lips. But did I care that we were suppose to be enemies? Nope!

It took another ten years until I slept with her.

Besides becoming my lover, she became my one, true purpose. I would dash to our hideaway every night, kiss and praise her to submission, then caress her to ragged moans of pleasure.

But, one day, she stopped coming.

Had I done something wrong? Was she simply busy? Or late? Was… I not good enough? I felt like some teenager while sitting in the little cave outlooking the pond. Just _one_ night of her not being there, and I felt like I'd been betrayed!

Soon that 'one night' turned into a whole month. I was a mess, sobbing and whining for my lost love. I'd wait every night, and she failed to make her appearance for a whole damn month!

After two months, she finally showed up.

With the head Goddesses- The Seven Heavenly Virtues.

Completely taken off guard, those seven bitches turned me into a block of goddess stone. Goddess stone! What had I done, to make them act so? Sure, I wasn't the nicest of fellows, but I had taken a change of heart as of late. Wasn't that enough? Or did they see me courting Elizabeth as a terrible crime?

"General Meliodas of the Demon Clan, you have committed crimes against Britannia and all of its creatures. We here by imprison you in this cage of solitude with Elizabeth the Innocent, concerning the folly you two have made… Not only have you killed countless infants, Meliodas, in front of their own parents, you slaughtered thousands of pregnant women like cattle. As your punishment for that, you shall be forced to watch the woman you love, Elizabeth the Innocent, bear your child in the wilderness,"

I still remember that little speech as if it was yesterday. And our 'folly'? I wanted to puke at the sound of it. Our 'folly' wasn't of anyone's business! See, Elizabeth had gotten pregnant, and the Goddess where flipping livid about it.

Yes, because she got _pregnant_. With _my_ child.

And apparently a Demon and a Goddess have never reproduced together before. So like cowards, the Goddesses turn me into stone, and trap Elizabeth in a imprisonment spell with me on the mountain. But what pissed me off the most, was that because a demon-goddess hybrid had never existed before, everyone was going bat-shit crazy.

I was forced to do nothing but think and watch while I was stone. Elizabeth, however, grew lonely. I learned a great deal about being patient.

Besides reaching my own enlightenment, I came to some self meditation. Hell, being stone for seven months didn't give me the freedom of taking walks. And being forced to watch my beautiful, pregnant mate suffer alone was a good message for my Darkness to calm the fuck down.

Elizabeth once talked about names for the baby. If it was a boy, she'd name him Camelot. If it was a girl, she'd name her Elaine, after the Goddess of Patience. She had a close relationship with her.

If there was one Goddess besides Elizabeth that I had tolerance for, it'd be Elaine the Patient.

Elaine was the only person to come visit us- well, Elizabeth, really. But Elaine cared for my little mate, and brought her food and such necessities. Even though she couldn't be with Elizabeth all the time, she coddled her the best she should. The Goddess of Patience was our only connection to the outside world, and I was shocked to hear that my army had gone to shit while I had been away. Were they really so weak to give up all guards just because I hadn't been home in a while?

Was I once so stupid to think that they were my family?

But speaking of chaos, my child's birth was the definition of it.

It was only Elizabeth and typical statue-me. Elaine had just left in a gleeful mood, having announced to us that the baby should be coming soon. But suddenly Elizabeth doubled over and gripped her stomach, yelling about how her water broke.

And what about me? I couldn't do anything! Nothing, and that made me so _mad-_

I wanted to be free. I wanted to help Elizabeth through the birth of our child. I wanted to hold whatever sorry bastard or lass that came falling out of my woman's lap.

But I was stone.

For some reason, my memory of the birth is foggy. Somehow I had broken free, through reasonings of my wrath, and before I knew it, I was holding a worn-out Elizabeth in one arm, and a screaming infant in the other.

Said infant is a blur in my mind. I don't even remember it's gender.

Elaine returned and regarded the babe with grave concern. Whatever she saw in that hellish, deformed spawn was not something she liked, and she took off faster than a lightning bolt. She returned with the other Seven Virtues, and they said that if I wanted to live a happy life with Elizabeth and our weird child, I would have to do one thing: imprison the entire Demon Clan within something called The Coffin of Eternal Darkness.

I agreed to do so.

The spell was to be made whenever the Goddess had all the tools to build it with, so I was technically still in 'prison'. But they saw our cooperation and let the imprisonment spell off. Elizabeth and I remained on that mountain for the next thirty years- that time, out of our own free will _with_ access to the outside world. We raised our child in a paused state of time, unbothered or unaffected by the war beyond our borders.

Our child was obviously not like any Demon or Goddess babe to have ever existed. The imp grew slowly, and within those thirty years it hardly had the mindset of a twelve year old. 'Dumber Than a Doorknob' couldn't fit anyone better. But despite our child's strangeness, we loved it all the same.

I think we understood that our child was definitely not of this world when it _casually_ killed the head Goddess in cold blood.

Rather violently, too.

Our child was taken away by Elaine, who was appointed as the new Mother Goddess. I grieved over the loss with Elizabeth, but tried to understand that our child was not mentally stable.

 _Or would ever be_.

When the time of The Coffin came, I did it without a single thought. I had felt bad seeing the look of disbelief on my brothers' faces, but I had a family to look after. Gowther was my 'friend' and advisor, so I grabbed him before the Coffin swallowed him up.

However, what I didn't know was the Goddesses' plan on how to _make_ the Coffin.

It was with my offspring's life… The bloodline of the dark, and the offspring of the light.

Elizabeth tried to save our child, but… her sacrifice replaced the child's. In a fit of rage, I lost control. I knew that the Goddesses were behind this, and I knew that this was their plan all along. They fled like pigeons when I lost my shit, and Gowther left with minor injuries and a loss of his memories. But not everyone was able to leave.

My _child_ was caught in my line of fire.

That _thing_ that started this whole mess.

That _being_ that held both the damned nature of a Demon, and the holy spiritualness of a Goddess.

That _folly_ of mine and Elizabeth's.

What happened to it, you ask?

I killed it.

...

After my rampage, nothing but barren land was left. Later, I started a village on the land my child was killed on.

Elaine came down to earth again, and personally handed me my Sin.

She said to me, "You will bear this mark for now till the end of time, Meliodas. And in that time, you shall never be allowed to die or stop your quest of destroying every last bloodline of the Darkness. However, because you loved Elizabeth so much that it changed your cruel ways, I will grant you a small token. She will be reborn throughout time, and until you complete your quest, she will die and you must look for her again. When you finish, she will have her immortality restored… Until next time, Dragon's Sin, Meliodas: Sin of Wrath."

I have yet to complete my 'quest'. And it's the only thing stopping me from going insane.

* * *

Merlin was so quiet, I feared that if she breathed she'd wake the dead. She stares at me with a hard to read expression, but I knew she was trying to process my story. After ten minutes of silence, she asks, "You avoid pronouns when it came to your child. Why?"

I blanched and looked up at her. I did? Huh, I guess I still don't want to remember the spawn either.

"You named that piece of land you destroyed Camelot, didn't you?" I nod, narrowing my eyebrows in confusion. What was she getting at?

"Knowing you, you wouldn't want to rename anything after your kid because it would give you too much pain... I heard that you lived in the Fairy King's forest for a couple hundred years. You made Chastiefol for Harlequin, right? That was why you went there in the first place, because you were once a famous blacksmith? You were honored for your actions, and I can only guess that you were present at Harlequin's sister's naming ceremony… Fairies have those, but, you already knew that~. You were the one who named her -King's sister- Elaine, didn't you? So your child wasn't named Camelot or Elaine… Something else."

"Yeah,"

Aw heck, how much snooping has she done? _I_ didn't even remember that! Ok, I confess to a few things: I named the kingdom of Camelot. I made Chastiefol. I named King's sister. I raised Merlin on my hip until she was eight years old. But Merlin was getting under my skin again. She was right that I wouldn't want to name something after someone I lost, and seeing that I've already used both of the names the original Elizabeth suggested, I knew she knew that I named my child a different name. However, she could've just said she knew I didn't name my child Elaine. She just said those things to let me know she knew some of my history. Did she know about ours?

Nodding, I look down in defeat. Merlin wasn't done speaking to me yet, and she cracked her neck to get my attention. However, she knew it was not in her place to tease me in a time like now.

"What was the name of your child, Captain? Male or female?"

No _._

 _ **YES.**_

"M-..."

"'M'-what, Captain?"

" _Morgana_. My _daughter's_ name was _Morgana_."

"Well, Captain, I now have reason to believe that _Morgana,_ is still alive."

* * *

A/N: I don't have anything to say here. I just want to look professional... Also, maybe do some Arthurian-legend study?


	4. Chapter 4: A Child's Sin

A/N: Sorry for the long wait... Sh!t went down at in my pad a week ago and now everything is fucked up. Basically, to sum it all up, I can't be alone with my computer. BUT no one is here at the moment while I type this! So... yay? Also, I know what the litteral meaning of the name Meliodas is.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NANATSU NO TAIZAI. BUT this is a AU. I'LL DO WHAT I WANT, DAMNIT!

Also... thoughts on shipping fictional charatcers with ocs? LOL, not happing here, but I had this crazy dream about my Morgana marrying Merlin... heheh, eh... I'll shut up now.

Enjoy.

* * *

Emotions are like tidal waves. They come and go as they please, washing over the shoreline like a big blue blanket. Sometimes there're annoying crabs walking along your ground, or sharp rocks that make you squeal. Other times there're tsunami waves.

Everyone tries to protect themselves from these 'tsunami waves' of emotions. Many a men, and women, have tried to use brute force to stop this wave. But that never works, by the way.

I use a different tactic altogether. I built a little wall around myself, completely removing myself from the beach's surface, intending to keep even the smallest grain of sand off of me. I knew that the dangerous waters, known as painful memories and emotions, were _there_ … I just refuse to let them get to me. Unfortunately, after years of keeping this wall around me, I had forgotten what I was protecting myself from. And now the waves in my beach have grown to high, with too many gruesome remainders and obstacles to dodge. This wave has now successfully taken down my walls. I didn't try stopping the emotions when they came... I knew that they were here all along, in my 5'0'' tall body. Yet, it's been this way for as long as I could remember, really.

I hadn't spoken, much less thought of, Morgana's name in nearly two thousand and a half years. My last moments with my daughter weren't exactly on lovey-dovey terms, after all! Now as I look back on my past, I see that I had been trying to run away from this demon of mine without even realizing it. Yet at the same time, my subconscious was forcing me to _remember_.

"Morgana's… _alive_?" I breathed, staring at the ravenette in front of me. Merlin was standing at her desk now, amber eyes narrowed with the upmost seriousness. She held a dusty old book in her hands, frantically flipping through its pages, occasionally licking the tips of her fingers as she flicked. The book huffed out a large cloud of dust as she suddenly slammed it shut. Looking at me, she responds, "Yes, Captain, _alive_. Do pay attention, will you?"

"… _how?_ " I asked in disbelief. The very idea, the very _notion,_ was totally ridiculous! There's no way, and I swear on _every_ one of my hearts, that Morgana was _alive_. It was impractical. Completely impossible.

And now as my own tsunami wave crashes over me, I remember one big important fact: I _voluntarily_ killed Morgana.

It was her fault the Holy War began. She was the one who took her sword- a sword Elizabeth and I made for her when she asked for one- and cut the head Goddess's off. Yet, Morgana's also partially responsible for _stopping_ it, too- gosh, because of her actions, she affected the lives of nearly everyone around me today.

I remember that after Elaine the Patient cursed me, I just sat in that desolate field for days doing nothing but screaming in rage or crying in misery over my losses. Elizabeth sacrificed herself in our child's place- our child, who's actions (killing the head Goddess of Humility) resulted in all of the Demon Clan's opposing sides to band together to fight: _The Great War_.

"May we let Gowther look into your mind? Maybe while in your demonic hissy fit, your pup ran away while she could," Merlin guesses casually, throwing a book back onto the table in favor for anew. Another mess was quickly forming. Dust flying toward me, I blow it away with a cough. My hands grasp the seat of my chair, and I hear a small snap form under my white-knuckled grip.

"Nope to Gowther. Also, it's mean that you would even say that! I keep my secrets to myself for a lot of reasons, Merlin. What would the others do if they knew?" Merlin grumbles darkly at this. "We're here to help Elizabeth, not for you to snoop around in my past,"

Merlin then glances down at me out of the corner of her eye, head dipped down toward the current book in her hands. She looked a bit bothered. It was an unnatural look for her- even when she was just a toddler, she would act like a little prissy princess. Hopefully it wasn't because I treated her as such.

Did I treat Merlin like a daughter, or the charge that she originally was intended to be?

 _Did I unconsciously try to make her the honor-worthy daughter I always wanted?_

"I'll say this _again_ , Captain: If a woman of Goddess or Druid decent had given birth in a previous lifetime, she will have powerful connections to her offspring throughout the _whole_ of her soul's existence. This means that in every life this mother takes, she and her child -even if the child is reincarnated, too- will be naturally drawn to one another... My theory is that maybe Morgana wasn't _completely_ saved from Elizabeth's sacrifice. Maybe some part of your daughter was trapped inside the Coffin, and now with it open, she's at full strength… Now, perhaps she just wants to make contact with you and her mother. Or she's been rebuilding her strength all these years in order to fight you… _Or_ she's just been hiding out, and seeing that the Coffin has been open, she plans to hit you while you're at your weakest."

These were all very believable theories. I was tempted to take a jab at one, but parts of me still didn't want to believe that my daughter survived my Wrath. I let go of my death grip on my chair and stand. Placing my hands on my hips, I think of the evidence we have.

The Hibernian men. The Druid-related plague they warned about. Elizabeth's pregnancy pheromones. The boil-infested bodies at the inn.

Could Morgana be the cause of it all? Is that what Merlin is suggesting? Jerking my chin up in her general direction, I say, "Morgana's behind this? Just because she wants to see Elizabeth and me?"

"Very good idea, Captain!" Merlin suddenly cheered, smirking slyly at me as she slammed her current book closed. She twirled her coat to the side, exposing the tall womanly figure she bore, and then swaggered over to the door. The wind she puts off in her fast step ruffled my hair up, and I blow a golden strand out of my face. Still serious, I follow her out of the attic.

"I recommend you confront the others about this, Captain," she says as we walk downstairs, the floorboards screeching loudly at every step we make. "They know something is up with you, and I'm afraid Gowther can't handle being unable to answer their questions. He's a bit unsure of this situation himself, and he doesn't like being badgered with the other's questions when he knows he can't tell them anything that goes on in our heads~"

"Why would they ask Gowther first? I'm not gonna punish them if they _ask_ me 'bout something," this was true.

"You and I know full and well that the doll simply _can't_ keep secrets. The others go to him when they want to know something~"

"Hmm, I guess that makes since," I said truthfully. The others tended to avoid Merlin when it came to getting information. She has on several occasions scared them off with the edict of experiments as payment for information. This is the same for Gowther, but he didn't do experiments like Merlin; and with my recent order for him not to meddle with people's minds, the doll has become much more lax and approachable- also more trustworthy.

When we stop at my door, Merlin waltzes into the room unannounced. I squint in the dark, watching the mage make her way toward the bed. There, she bends down to arouse the figure in it. The figure moved mechanically, and I knew on sight that it was the Sin of Lust himself who was sleeping in my bed.

Well, I guess he took Merlin's asking of him to stay with Elizabeth too seriously. I was a bit bothered that he was with her _in_ the bed, and I became even more upset that Elizabeth whined in the dark for her bed companion. Yet when she mumbled my name, I smiled in relief. Still, I felt a bit off-put that Gowther got to cuddle her while I was busy mentally bashing my brains out.

"I did as you asked and stayed in the Captain's room to watch Princess Elizabeth. Considering people sleep better with another, I saw it fit to do so with her as well," he says softly, creeping out the bed and up to us. His hair was askew, and Elizabeth's familiar scent of lavender and morning spring dew came off of him as he brushed down the wrinkled in his clothes. As he cleaned and fixed his glasses, Merlin went to the other side of the bed to examine the slumbering princess. With my curious and slightly concerned gaze aimed on them, I watch the ravenette take hold of a strand of Elizabeth's hair. She pulled out a pair of scissors (from where, who knew?) and cut it off. My white-haired soulmate only hummed and rolled over- oblivious.

"Is this an appropriate situation in which for me to ask what is happening?" The pink-haired male asked, tilting his head to the curiously. The moonlight that poured in through the window reflected off of his glasses, making the illusion that he had white eyes.

"Yeah, it is Gowther," I gently informed him, before silently clapping my hands together. Whispering, "Do me a favor and wait for me downstairs. Make sure everyone's awake and waiting too, okay? I'll tell you guys everything you need ta' know,"

Gowther stared at me impassively as per usual. Yet as he gives a little peace sign and flips his hair, he says with as much feeling as he could muster, "I'll do my best, Captain."

"Awesome, man… Also, did you pick up anything unusual on those bodies at the inn?"

The doll was quick to respond. "Yes. I noted magic that was very similar to Princess Elizabeth's. It was the same magic she used in the battle with Sir Hendrickson,"

No. No. No. N-mm. Nope. That can't be. Goddess magic? _On dead bodies?_ How? A dark chuckle echoes in the back of my brain, and I all but flinch at the mental strain I put into pushing my Darkness away.

My daughter, besides being mentally unstable, was practically a time-bomb ready to go off. She inherited both demonic and angelic aspects from Elizabeth and I, and it was clear from early on that those two forces didn't mix- well, in one body, that is. A demon is considered a physical being, cursed to roam the earth in hunger and suffering, taking its pain out on hurting others. A Goddess, however, is spiritual and lives in-between time itself. These two forces have constantly been at battle. I, being made from several types of creatures, have the ability to stand so close to a Goddess without crumbling from the momentum. This is what made it possible for Elizabeth and I to come together romantically.

Morgana took Elizabeth's Goddess genes, as well as my demonic ones.

That outcome didn't end well, to put it simply.

"Was that all you found?"

"No. I also found demonic magic present,"

I stand, smiling boyishly on the outside, all the while screaming like a madman on the inside. Merlin scoffs pridefully. I puff, frustrated.

"Thanks, man… And one more thing: does Elizabeth here have any presences or magic residue on her that doesn't belong?" My question came out slow, careful. I want to deal with this matter as delicately as possible. Everything about this situation was covered in eggshells. If Merlin's theory is true, then I had a lot of emotional preparation to do- not to mention, I had to have my eye on Elizabeth even more. The possibility that Morgana was alive left a horrible chill down my spine. And it seems that this possibility keeps getting stronger and stronger.

The pinkette looked at me curiously, tilting his head to the other side with his finger still on his chin. After blankly facing me for a whole six seconds, he looks up in the air, contemplating. Then he looks over at the princess in my bed.

"I detect high levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Princess Elizabeth." he states matter-of-factly. Merlin shuffles in the background, making a grunt of displeasure. I quirk an eyebrow at this, and ask him what it was- "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is a powerful hormone produced in pregnant women. It is made in the woman's placenta that works with the corpus luteum during pregnancy."

"What's a corpus luteum?" I forced out, acting as good-natured as I usually am. I'm happy, but surprised, that I could make my voice sound demanding yet light, innocent, and carefree all at once- well, at least in this moment. I tended to do this all of the time.

"A temporary endocrine structure that resigns in the ovaries during early pregnancy."

Well, that's _how_ Elizabeth smells like she's pregnant. But I want to know _why_. If Goddesses -and Druids- truly _do_ have strong bonds with their offspring… was Morgana's coming back making Elizabeth's body have an involuntary reaction?

 _If I believe that, then I'd be forced to accept that my child is still living_.

I took a long breath, running my callused fingers down my face. Pulling down on the soft skin under my eyes, I whine childishly with frustration. Huffing, I drop my arms and set my eyes seriously at the doll. "Is Elizabeth pregnant?"

Gowther looks back at me. He stares straight into my eyes with the very definition of inscrutable.

"No. However, Princess Elizabeth is in her prime to be…" he trails off absentmindedly while tapping his chin. Then he turns his head to the door. The Goat's Sin turned sharply on his heel before departing from the room. When he quietly closed the door behind him, and his footsteps vanished down the hall, I turned toward Elizabeth and Merlin. Elizabeth was still sleeping, yet she seemed less at peace since Gowther had left the bed. Humming in her slumber, she stretched her limbs cutely in the typical sleep-frustrated fashion. The mage was much more alert than the other female she examined, and she raised her quizzical eyes up to meet mine once I regarded the two women.

"How is she?" I ask softly. Merlin cocks her head to the side and stands straight, slipping her sliced strands of Elizabeth's platinum hair into her pocket. She straightens her once slouched shoulders, and proceeds to make up for her brief absence of flaunty behavior by giving me a concupiscence and all-knowing smile.

Flicking her wrist to move some hair behind her ear, she responds in a playful whisper. But her words make my hearts sink. "I don't sense any magical residue on your princess, dear Captain. So, obviously, this bodily function of the princess's you smell is _purely_ a chemical reaction. Wherever that spawn of yours is, she most likely is very close,"

* * *

After we left my room, Merlin and I were very close to arguing at each other- the most a covetous mage and a happy-go-lucky demon could argue, at least. Luckily, before I could start raising my voice at her, she announced to me and whatever spirits were listening that she was going to Camelot for some research. She flicked her wrist in goodbye and wished me a 'pleasant' travel to the Druids. "And don't forget to inform the others! I'll respect your silly little wishes for now, dear Captain, so I promise to keep my mouth shut this time. However, if you keep this secretive business of yours up, and I _know_ you'll keep doing it even after this is all over, the others _might_ start to get a little hostile towards you~ They are my comrades too, so if it ends up being two against four… or five, if we find Escanor soon. Hmm, well, you get my drift. Don't you, dear Captain?"

I puff out a heavy breath, rolling back and forth on the balls of my feet. With my hands in my pockets, I nod to her in full understanding. What she implied is that she would follow me till the very end, but that didn't mean she'd let me turn her against the others. We were all family, so to speak, and she wished to keep it that way.

"I gotcha, Merlin. You pick your own battles!"

The mage smiles genuinely, and then pats my head before she suddenly vanishes into a bright spark of light. I shut my eyes, mostly because it's a learned reaction I picked up so I could blend in with human better, and when I open them I find her gone.

"Cap'n~?" said a voice down the stairs, and I look back over my shoulder to see Ban at the end of the landing. He was frowning, but his tone was light and musical like normal. Red eyes bore into mine, and I stood there for a few seconds just staring at him with my back towards him. My hands were still in my pockets, and I didn't mind straining my neck at the 90' degree angle that it was in. Looking completely naive and lax, I say lightly, "Hey Ban, what's up?"

"Don'you 's'up' me, Cap'n. I wanna know what the hell is goin' on." he says, the musical notes he usually makes while speaking gone. I blinked owlishly, and turn my body towards him now. Ban glared a little bit, but his eye muscles relaxed once he saw that I still wore my very believable innocent mask. Looking down at him, I say, "Sure, man. I'll be down in a sec',"

"Gotta take a leek. Others r' down here~," he cackles, now finding whatever he saw in this situation funny. He left my view, and I walk down the stairs once I hear the tavern's door open, then close. Using the upmost careful steps, I make my way to the bar. Two candles sat alight on the counter. Their light cast a droopy look in the room, and playful shadows danced across the barrels that hung behind the counter. Voices echo softly across the bar alongside faint singing of the night's crickets.

The three remaining Sins sat in the counter. These particular three Sin's conversation was pretty much dominated by the one female present. Diana had taken a shrinking pill and was wearing the pink sweater and combat jeans that Merlin had made for her. She had both elbows on the bar, and was mostly looking toward King, who sat at her left. Gowther was barely acknowledged by her, but the giantess would demand an answer or opinion from him regarding something every now and then. Mostly it was King who made it a point to get the pinkette's say on things.

"-ain always acts like that, though!" Diana said, pouting seriously as she curls her hair- a nervous habit of hers. Her bark-colored eyes are narrowed and sad. With her gaze fixated on the bottles of alcohol on the shelves, she adds stubbornly, "He's just trying to protect us,"

"Protect us from _what_ , Diana?" King snapped, much to my surprise. The fairy seemed to realize his sudden outburst, and looked away with a shameful blush. The Serpent Sin opened her mouth to give a quick reply, but paused midair. Closing, and then reopening, she finishes with, "W-well, I don't know!"

"What doesn't somebody know?" I asked cutely, despite my anxiety about the situation at hand. Diana and King shot their head up, staring at me like deer caught in the jaws of a dragon.

I guess that's how they feel.

Gowther is the only one to be unperturbed by my presence. He sat calmly with his hands on his lap. Pushing his glasses up his nose, the Goat Sin waves a hand in greeting. "I have gathered all of the Sins together. However, Merlin is not here. Shall I get her?"

"Nah, she went to Camelot. We'll be alright with her gone for a few days,"

"Understood. Are you going to inform us of ' _The Problem'_?" Blankly asks the doll. I raise an eyebrow, and look toward the two others. Diana looked away with a nervous laugh, while her tiny partner in crime scratches the back of his neck with a guilty blush. Poor King, looking at Diana for help, sees that she will not help him explain whatever ' _The Problem_ ' is. It doesn't take an idiot to guess what it is. I think they can feel my tense aura.

I smile softly at them, understanding their discomfort with confronting me on the matter. On a regular basis, I worked on making myself approachable and genial. Just, not _too_ much. For example: when a drunken Ban tried to pull my sword (the Key to the Coffin), I had to make it a point that I had boundaries. I didn't feel too guilty about giving my friend a permanent scar. After all, it became a good reminder to the Sin that he shouldn't push my buttons too far- and I feel that it's a reminder for the others, too. Sighing, I make my way behind the counter.

These people have known me for around thirteen years. I bet they think this ' _problem_ ' of mine is why I've been quiet lately.

" _'_ _The Problem'_ being whatever you've been hung up over~," came Ban's voice from the door. Minus Gowther, the Sins yelp in surprise at his entrance. The immortal comes through the bar, zipping up his front without care that someone sees. Diana made a side comment about his rudeness, but stays quiet for the most part. Hawk followed the Sin of Greed in as well, and snorts out comically. "Yeah! So spill your beans, dude!"

"Problem…? Oh! You mean the Druid plague?"

"No, about how the ice cream shop ran outta double-chocolate chip," Ban mumbles sarcastically, plopping down beside Gowther at the counter. Our pink, four-legged friend trots behind the bar and lies beside my feet. He frowns up at me, and I knew Hawk was warning me for something to come. Shoot. All four Sins stare intently at me. Well, they're smarter than I take them for if they believe something other than this plague is bothering me. I poor myself a cup of ale in the new mug Elizabeth got.

"You've been pretty quiet since yesterday morning," King says shyly, placing his hands on the counter, fingers intertwined, in full seriousness. "And you seem more…"

"Agitated," Gowther offers politely.

"Pissed," Diana says in illusion to Gowther.

"Quirky!" Hawk shouts.

"You still look as stupid as ever, Cap'n, but you ain't foolin' us. A blind and deaf bastard could even feel your… _vibe_ ," he adds with invisible glitter.

Oh my. Was I truly being so tense? Before I can even think of reasons for their suspicions besides my dark thoughts, Diana jolts and pipes up again. "Last night, when you called for Merlin, your eyes where… black… B-but only for a second!"

"Black?" I ask, dumbfounded with a tilt of my head. I sip from my fancy new mug, sliding my free hand into my pocket. It's not surprising that my eyes would turn black at such a sensitive time for me.

"Another point that made us question your true nature is when we examined the bodies at the inn. When you and Elizabeth came back from the marketplace, Hawk said that your eyes were black, but that you also had a mark on your forehead."

I kick Hawk's butt, and he squeals an apology.

"Ooh? Diddya' really see that?" Well, I guess this mess fell on my hands by my own accord. Cursing at my demonic subconscious under my breath, I nod boyishly at Diana's statement. My Darkness chuckles evilly in the back of my mind.

" _Stop doing that!_ " Ban yelled, his tone of voice harsh and mean. It doesn't startle me, but the others jump as he slams his fists on the counter. Chipped and dented wood is the result. He snarls again and pulls his hands away from the damage. "We're all _aware_ of the law in our little groupie here~. But if one of us, meaning _you_ , Cap'n, suddenly started _growlin'_ and gots _black eyes_ , methinks we have the right to ask about it!"

I decide to stay silent. Too silent. The others glance at each other, then me, and barely are they patient for my response. Hawk shifts uncomfortable beside me, mumbling something incoherent. My face is still relaxed, eyes wide and questioning, eyebrows high, my mouth hidden behind my mug. Blinking like a clueless idiot, I regard them with as much composer as I usually do.

"Well, your right that I don't wanna tell you guys some things," I admit. "But, are you _sure_ you saw me with black eyes?"

"Damnit all!" The Fox's Sin sneers, reaching over the counter to grab my collar. Frowning, I allow the silver-haired man pull me to jostle me forward. I hit the edge of the counter, ale sloshing out of my mug, and I stare with light shock at my angry friend. "I wanna know two things, Cap'n! _Two things_!-"

"Sure, man-"

"What the _fuck_ are you, and what the _fuck_ is goin' on!"

Red eyes glare into my green ones. I know very well that not only Ban, but the others too, really want answers. Why, though, should this cause them to act so harsh? It seems though Ban is acting out of line, according to the other's judgment. Gowther shook his head in Ban's direction, as if displeased with his actions. Diana hisses out a, _'what the hell?'_. King, however, places a cautious, also comforting, hand on Ban's shoulder. The hostile man practically growls at the smaller male's actions. The usually calm fairy, who avoids fist-fights like it's the plague, floated beside Ban with a small pout and scowl. "That's enough, Ban. The Captain is still our Captain… whatever may happen. We're asking for the reason to why he's been upset, not badgering him about personal matters,"

"Yeah, he's also done nothing to give us reason to fear him!" Diana adds sweetly. Bless her soul; she still believes that? King, being her love interest, was quick to strengthen her proclaim. However, a look of recollection flashes over his orange eyes; he stays quiet. I bet he's remembering Vizel.

"Oh _really_?" said Ban, who jerks his neck up to show off his scar. I puff guiltily.

"I'll tell you guys the situation… Only if ya let me down, of course!" I joked, smiling teasingly. The Sins eye me suspiciously, but Ban drops me begrudgingly.

He sighs, then says depressingly, "You can skip the whole 'what are you' thing… It was just the heat of the moment~" said the immortal. He sits down, this time much more relaxed, and pulls out a bottle of beer from under the counter.

"It's cool, man," I said smiling. Whoo! There goes one worry! I sigh in relief as I sip my ale. Closing my eyes, I breath in and out slowly to calm down. My Darkness was buzzing with excitement again. The room became quiet, and the others take sharp inhales of air as I elegantly sip my ale, then gently place it on the counter. As I gulp down the bitter, apple-tinted taste, I prepare myself for some uncomfortable outcomes.

"Mm, someone from my past is causing the plague-"

"What?" Ban, Diana, and King voiced in illusion. Gowther, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, asks, "Pardon?"

"-her name's Morgana, and she's a kind of a acquaintance of mine-"

"What _kind_ of acquaintance?" Ban question glumly. He was already impatient, and my slow answers to their questions weren't helping.

I breathed in. Then out. "She's my daughter,"

The room suddenly lost its anxiety. Everyone (-Gowther) held his or her breath. Faces became pale and mouths open to speak, but only high-pitched whines leave. Moonlight shone in through the window, casting shadows across my crew's faces. They sit in disbelief, stare at me as if I had grown an extra head, and stay this way for a good full minute. I stand in front of them, equally as quiet, sipping my ale calmly. I knew this would happen.

Ban's eyes widen in shock. He choked, sputtered, and this caused him to spat and spray out his beer. I purse my eyes and lips as I'm doused in his spit. Dripping, I add thoughtfully, "I believed her to be dead, though," Suddenly they all start yapping, ignoring or not hearing my last comment.

"You have a _daughter!?_ " Screeched Hawk, whose presence I forgot about, as he stood up from his spot. He goes on and on about me's not telling him, while Diana pitched in to complain about my secretive behavior. She pulled at her hair in astonishment, as King just stared at me with his mouth agape, his grip on his pillow almost lost.

"What!? _You?_ A daugh _ter?"_ Ban grunted, suddenly kicking his head back in uncontrollable laughter. He gasped, slapping the counter repeatedly until he went blue with lack of oxygen. Falling over, he keeps laughing.

"How…" King whispers, looking down at the bar nervously. I pat his head, remembering how I first met the fairy. It felt like just yesterday when the nurse fairies thrust him into my arms, gushing over how cute he was. He was still cute as button, but I'd never say that to his face. The tiny king looked up at me through long lashes, and eyed me skeptically. Whispering, he leans in and asks, "Are you half-fairy? Is that why you look like a child?"

"Eh, to be honest, I got _some_ fairy blood in me!" I whisper truthfully, ruffling his hair up before going to the barrels to refill my mug. It was a pretty cool mug.

Sipping ale, I wait for the others to calm down.

"Is this is why you have been behaving differently? Because you miss your offspring?" Gowther inspects.

"I don't miss Morgana, that's for sure!" my voice was surprisingly light. This catches the other's attention, and once again I found myself in the spotlight.

"Why? She's your daughter, you obviously miss her!" Hawk cheers. "Does she look like you? What's she like? Who's her mama? Where is she? How old is she? Does she-"

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa_ , Master, let the Cap'n breath a little~" Ban chuckles, sitting on his chair again.

"Captain… we're sorry for being so mean," Diana sobbed, and I pat her head too.

"It's okay, you guys. No harm done! You were worried and wanted to know what we're up against. I understand," I finish with a soft smile.

"Pew! I thought you'd castrate us for sure!" Hawk moans in relief, flopping down on his belly. He suddenly pauses, remembering something, and glanced up at me. He waves a hoof for me, and I bend down to hear him. The pig whispered, "What about Elizabeth…"

Well, he's the only one who knows about _that._ And Gowther. I'll just leave it be for now- less to explain.

I shrug, tell him it's getting settled, and stand back up. The others seem much more relaxed. They inform me they won't push me any more, but they do insist for information about Morgana, and what she has to do with the case.

"Well for starters, Morgana isn't…" I trail off, tapping my chin in thought. How would I describe her… "isn't _nice_ ," is my decided term. As we settle down again, Ban raises an eyebrow at this while taking a large gulp of his beer. His cheeks are flushed with drunkenness. It was already well past midnight, so it wasn't unusual for him to be this wasted. Most likely, he was already wasted when he lashed out at me only minutes ago. If he hadn't been drunk, the conversation would have been much more lax. The Serpent Sin, however, looked very guilt-ridden and ashamed with the whole situation. The Grizzly Sin still looked stunned out of his skull.

They knew this was the kind of 'history' our law protected us from. The minute I said I had a daughter, they knew they had pushed me too far. Due to the fact that I had never spoken of Morgana before, or even thought of her, it was obvious that I did _not_ want to talk, or _think_ , about her. They also knew that grounds like the ones we were treading on now were personal and kept secretive for a reason. They all had something to hide, something that they would fight tooth and nail in order to not share, and they knew they had pushed me into _those_ areas.

It was something we swore in the beginning not to discuss.

I wonder how they'd feel if they knew I had much more than Morgana to hide.

"Define: 'isn't _nice_ '," The silver-haired man huffed.

"Well, like I said before, she's most likely is behind all 'a this," I sighed, "But I don't know anything for certain. Merlin just went to Camelot for more information-"

" _Merlin_ knows?" Diana asked, a bit offended it seems, while she crossed her arms and leaned her torso on the bar. "Typical,"

"Nothing is for certain, you guys. Common, stop talking and start listening!"

* * *

I didn't tell them much. Only that Morgana has basically come back from the dead and plans on either revenge or a reunion with me. They accepted my answers, however vague they may be, and left me to my own devises as they binge drank. Now, it was around ten o'clock at night. I was surprised that it was still so early, but it _was_ getting close to winter. Night had fallen a couple of hours ago.

Mama Hawk had started moving once Merlin and I went to the attic, so we were at least five miles away now. The Sins were drinking their worries away, mumbling darkly at the counter as they threw back their alcohol. King, being the lightweight among us, past out a few minutes ago.

"Oh King…" Diana says sleepily as she eyes him, yawning over her mug. She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her palms, groaning in frustration. The immortal sitting beside her looked tearfully at her, slamming his own mug down loudly. "Why the long face~?"

"I wish we hadn't blown up on Captain like that… I feel so guilty,"

"Eh, get use to it~ We all feel like shit, too,"

"…What, what do you think the Captain's daughter is like?"

Ban grumbles and takes a swig of his drink. "I dunno. First I've heard of Cap'n havin' a brat. But like he said, she isn't nice,"

"So, are we implying that Morgana is a bad person?"

"Gowther! Don't say things like that in front of the Captain!" Diana shouts. I laugh at this. Despite whatever they will say about my daughter, I will find it amusing.

"Nah, it's fine. Gowther is more or less accurate, anyhow!" I tease. My mug was empty, and I decided to stop drinking after my twenty-ninth refill. Elizabeth was starting to consume most of my thoughts again, so it was clear for me to stop drinking- or I might go upstairs and do something I'll feel sorry about in the morning.

"Eh- Cap'n-"

"Yeah?"

"Tell," he hiccups and sways, "-us a story about yer' brat!"

"Hmm… Can't think of anything!" I don't want to remember anything.

My friend looked terribly defeated. Heck, he looked ready to cry! But I just shake my head, tsking at him. He smirks at me before walking over to my table. I wasn't paying much attention to him, however. What I found more interesting was the fact that Elizabeth slept through all the screaming. And I was also wondering if Elizabeth was up to spending the day with me tomorrow, again. Well, duh, she'd be up for it! She's my soulmate, after all. So due to this, I barely thought anything about it when Ban came over to grab my mug. Despite his aggression earlier, I don't feel any need to guard myself around him or stop his actions. "You need some more drink, man!" he slurs drunkenly as he swaggers brokenly to the barrels. Refilling my mug, he adds, "-take a load off~"

"Uh-uh, I'm good," I happily waved my hand to stop his advances. I felt no need to get up, even as he comes back and hands me the filled mug. "Drink!" he insists.

"Naw, man!" Morgana was haunting my thoughts again, too. I wanted her gone from my memory, and let my mind only be on Elizabeth, instead. I _could_ go upstairs and just get some sleep, but I doubt I would be able to. And being slightly intoxicated, plus awfully angsty, I might do something to the princess I'll regret later. Having some fun time with my friends was enough for me to 'get a load off'. But, they're all either drunk, busy reading, asleep, or off in Camelot… So, I suppose _one_ more mug wouldn't hurt. Even if I did do something if I got drunk, it wouldn't be serious. Then again, I haven't been drunk for twelve years.

"Yaaaas, man!" he insisted, pushing the mug in my face. Ale sloshed and spilled onto the table, temping me more. Its familiar, alluring scent wafted to my nose. I was already a little tipsy, but Morgana's face kept popping up in my mind. It wouldn't hurt just to forget about her for a little, right? Shockingly, my subconscious growls in disapproval. What, first an evil carnation of my demonic power, now a concerned friend?

I needed another drink.

* * *

Merlin hisses like an angry cat, tossing an old, moldy book over her shoulder and onto the floor. On the ground was a collection of equally old books, half-open and missing pages as they lay abandoned and forgotten.

"No, no, no, no, no," she repeated, tsking as she flips through the pages. The mage's black hair sways as she flits through the grand library, mumbling over words not in the modern Britannian tongue. The library was huge, consisting with millions upon millions of books lining the three levels of the room. Merlin gazed over spines and nooks, blowing away the occasional spider web or moth. She rode on a ladder, rolling back and forth, climbing up and down, all the while completely intent on her current goal. Without breaking a sweat, she realizes somewhere in her frantic search that she's been at this for four hours straight.

"Well, I'll never get anywhere at this rate," she notes darkly as she throws another book, it falling several feet before hitting the tile with a loud thud. The woman looks around the room at the mess she's made. "Goodness, someone _seriously_ needs to do a little cleaning in here," Snapping her fingers, the books magically rise up from the ground and float to the places where they belong.

Merlin gripped the ladder handles, then slide down as gracefully as a Goddess coming down from the steps of heaven. She looks out a window, and sees that the stars are shining brightly. The people of Camelot have all wandered home on this night, sleeping peacefully. Looking closer, Merlin can see a few stragglers or drunks dotting the streets.

The ravenette didn't think about how unusually quiet the library was until she stood still for quite some time. When the woman noticed how she failed to hear the servants of the castle, she focused on her person presence-finding sight.

No one seemed to be around her for a good mile.

"How strange," she notes slyly, curling her fingers around her throat, tapping the pig tattooed there. She hums to herself knowingly. Merlin would be lying if she said she knew nothing would happen to her if she separated from the others. Merlin was, after all, the queen of secrets. After hearing her dear Captain's tale, however, she had more questions than she did answers! It frustrated her, so she risked it and went to Camlet anyway.

Merlin hadn't been completely honest with Meliodas. She only felt a pinch of guilt for this, though.

The mage had been aware of the Druid plague a day before her Captain had heard of it. The news traveled slowly through Britannia, probably in the path of the late Patrick and Aralt. Today, the news had reached Arthur's court only moments before she arrived at the castle. "Find out what's causing this, Merlin!" the little auburn-haired king had commanded, smiling boyishly like Merlin's Captain. _Oh_ , she inwardly cackled, _how Author's man-crush on Meliodas showed_! She planned to be loyal, despite her constant silent judgment.

But she already had a guess of what- or _who_ \- was behind this.

And this _who_ was the _thing_ that had been stalking Merlin for some time, now. Merlin had noticed it's presence a month ago, a few days before the Coffin was opened. She originally believed it was one of her past apprentices wanting a duel with her, to see who's stronger. Vivian was a good enough failure for Merlin for her to give up teaching all together. However, as days went by, Merlin had a feeling that this presence stalking her wasn't someone she knew.

She wouldn't say it aloud, but this thing that followed Merlin unnerved her. Merlin paced the library, sensing the demonic Goddess-like pretense nearby.

It- no, _she_ \- was close.

"I know you're here, my dear," she sang, cat-walking to the table located in the center of the library. She leans down, slamming her hands down on the surface. The sound of the bang echoes throughout the library, bouncing off the walls eerily. Smirking, she narrows her eyes to the only door in the room that stood several feet away. Merlin chuckles, tilting her face lower as delicious thoughts of being the superior one ran through her mind. A few strands of her raven-black hair fell into her face, but she doesn't care. "Come now, child. Let me see your pretty little face~"

There was only one entrance to the library. If Morgana, Meliodas' daughter, approaches her physically like a human would, she'll come through this door. Or, depending on how her Captain described her 'weirdness', she might just come crashing through the window. Despite Merlin being on the top floor of the castle. It's also possible for Morgana to just teleport there.

Merlin was prepared for anything.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are~" Merlin coos, lazily looking around the room. Seconds tick by, and the location of her current enemy's presence hadn't moved. Irked, she frowns and flips her hair back. "Huh, well, if you won't come to me, I'll—"

" _Do what_?" scoffed a voice.

The mage was taken completely off guard. She felt a ping of shock run down her spine, but Merlin fought to keep it down. The hairs on the back of her neck rose comically, but she stood still- frozen in her spot. Despite her shock, and confusion, she stayed calm… A smirk steadily grew on her face. Merlin was no scaredy cat. After all, she was nearly one thousand years old!

"I'll tell your father~" she sassed back.

" _My father_? Please, don't threaten me with that _shit_ ," the voice fought back, equally as haughty. This voice had no specific starting point, and the mage notes that it didn't even seem to be in the same _room_ as her. Rather, the voice seems to be from her _mind_. Was this being like Gowther's mind magic…? Her negative thoughts turn positive, though, as she recognizes the magic residue. Merlin realizes that this is goes the same for the being's presence.

Rather annoyed, Merlin understands what the being was up to. _Sneaky little bug,_ she lightly curses to herself. "A cloaking spell, _dearie_? Even the worst of mages and witches can do that!"

"Spell? What spell? I'm right here, you blind _bitch_ ,"

Merlin was not ready for such passion in the creature's voice. Despite her relaxed posture and mood, she felt lost for words. This being -known as Morgana, she bet- had no specific presence like most creatures... because, she finally understands, it _had_ no physical presence _!_ Nor was Merlin expecting the pure _hate_ that ran through this being's voice. Merlin was positive she had never met this creature, aka Morgana, before. So why did it seem to be so angry with the ravenette?

A horribly malicious and sinister laugh echoed throughout the library. It came and vanished off in several different spots, making Merlin rethink that her opponent's voice was coming from her own mind.

Morgana _was_ here- just, Merlin was unable to pick up her presence. _Goddess magic and Demon magic… in one being._ How wondrous.

"You're confused? **Good**."

"Have we met before?" she asks pleasantly, taking a seat at the table. Intertwining her hands, she leans back and prepares for whatever comes at her.

"I know you. But you don't know me," this time, the voice seemed to be right behind her. Yet, Merlin stays still and calm- still wearing her signature teasing smiles.

" _Ooh?_ Do explain, child~"

"You call _me_ the child, but I assure you that _I'm_ the elder here. You see, Merlin the Boar Sin of Gluttony, I want **_revenge_** _._ "

Merlin scoffed this time. She expected as much. The woman crosses her arms and tilts her head back, smirking sweetly. She plans to squeeze information out of Morgana –if this is who the being was- before teleporting to a safer place. She wasn't afraid of this being, no, but rather wanted to see how its magic worked. Even the little bit of magic it was admitting now was fascinating! And, Merlin mused, she'd get the knowledge her Captain wanted. This is why she won't go to her crew straight away after this encounter with this being. If it wanted revenge against Meliodas, like Merlin believed, then she won't throw herself and her crew into a battle with a creature they knew nothing about- and before Merlin can get Meliodas' full strength back, too. Hopefully, Meliodas told the others about their current enemy even if Morgana _does_ attack soon.

"Oh? Then, I assume, it is safe to say you are Morgana, Meliodas' daughter?"

"Pfft, please. You may call me Morgan,"

Morgana, Morgan, eh. Merlin was right, and she smirks wider than before. She was practically singing with pride. However, this was no time to celebrate. Merlin knew she had things to figure out first.

" _Morgan_ , then~ Well, may I ask why you are so hell-bent on revenge? Who do you wish to set your wrath upon? Your father?"

"My father _this_ , my father _that_ \- mention that bastard _one_ _more time_ , Merlin, and I will _rip_ you a knew one,"

So hostile, Merlin pouted.

Morgan continued, much to the mage's surprise, "I want revenge on you."

Merlin blinked.

Then blinked again.

Was Merlin missing something, here? Obviously, because she didn't know why Morgan would have a bone to pick with _her_.

"Ehehe, you are confused _now_ , hmm? Shall I paint a picture for you, _child_?" Morgan retorted. "See, around one thousand years ago, my bastard father ripped you out of your mother's arms and raised you as his _own_. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be his surrogate daughter… _my replacement_. As if _you're_ better than _me_!" She hissed, "And, another thing- this kingdom is technically my father's as well- so, I suppose, it's mine also. But, because of _you_ , it seems to have prospered! AND, because of _you,_ it holds many things you hold _dear_ , hmm? Well, Merlin, I hate you. I hate my father, too. He tried to kill me with my very own sword, but _no_. I'm stronger than he thinks!"

The mage was yet again lost for words. She had no idea what Morgan was rambling about. She sat puzzled, trying to piece together where _she_ , of all people, came into Morgan's revenge plan. She could see why Morgan would want to destroy Camelot- but _Merlin_? Why? And another thing that bewildered the ravenette was when Morgan mentioned something about Meliodas ripping Merlin out of her own mother's arms… Did, by a wayward thought, Meliodas know Merlin when she was small? Or was Morgan truly insane like her Captain said?

Merlin mentally remarks that she'll have to have a strong word with Meliodas later.

"Why do you want revenge on me, hun'?"

" _Why_?" Morgan laughed darkly again. "Because, I _hate_ _you_. _Hate, hate_ _ **, hate**_ **!"** her voice vibrates off the walls. Merlin sighs tiredly and hopes Morgan will get over her rage. "I want to destroy _everything_ you hold dear! Starting with the puny king and his stolen sword. Who, by the way, _you_ gave Excalibur to! And why does Excalibur have anything to do with me, you ask? Well, _hun'_ , it was **_mine_** before my bastard father took it from me and locked it away in that _**fucking**_ _stone_!"

The poor mage was so confused that she barely noticed hands appear out of thin air, and grab the mage by her shoulders. Then, Merlin was thrown out the window.

 _Huh,_ she thinks, calling for Alden, _Morgana really is dumb_.

* * *

A/N:... *moonwalks away*


	5. Chapter 5: Keeping it Together

A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all of my readers. It's been such an experience, writing this story— Thank you all for commenting, favoring, and following TDDWP! I cry at every comment, and I'm flipping with joy at the fact that several of my favorite authors here have not only read my silly little story, but have also encouraged me to write more. I'd also like to dedicate the story itself. It has inspired me to write an original story, one I hope to publish one day. For now, I must use Wattpad.

Sorry but I'm not sorry that I'm such a cock-block. It's in my genes. But some Melizabeth fluff (lol it's rly just hump-smut) is here! Finally!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Seven Deadly Sins/Nanatsu no Taizai. This fanfiction's plot, however, is mine. My version Morgana in this story is mine, too.

Warnings: Gore and light sexual themes.

Chapter Summery: In which Morgana is revealed to be a fish-Nazi, Meliodas gets cock-blocked by Elizabeth herself, and Ban finally thinks he has to go to AAA-meetings.

* * *

 _"Morgana keeps asking for a sword," Elizabeth mentioned casually as she ran her fingers through my hair. I hum, nuzzling my face into the softness of her lap and stomach. On this particular evening, my mate and I rest next to our pond, lazily doting on the other while we watch our offspring frolic by the water. Our daughter was happily hopping over the stones nestled in the wet sand, mumbling cutely to herself how she had to avoid the 'water monsters'. My lover and I sit against the large willow tree overlooking the pond, with me laying my head in her lap. She stroked my hair with the upmost softness. If I didn't have anything to focus on, I was sure I'd fall asleep. So, to keep my mind occupied, I glanced over at our child on occasion, just to make sure the little imp hadn't fallen in. However, my worry was unnecessary- the girl had wings like her mother, after all._

 _But Morgana could barely fly two feet off the ground._

 _"How'd she get an idea like that," I respond absentmindedly. Elizabeth sighed sleepily, patting my shoulder._

 _"She's growing up,"_

 _"Hmmm, well, let's tell her to stop growing up~," was my childish, cheeky response. "Besides, Morg' won't grow any taller than us!" This was very true. The girl was reaching her seventeenth birthday, but she still acted, and looked, like a five year old. In my thoughts, I flick a yellow butterfly away that flew too close. It fluttered pitifully, but avoided my sluggish move to attack it. Watching it fly off toward Morgana's direction, I yawn loudly as Elizabeth trailed her fingers down my neck. "What would she do with a sword anyhow? Fight butterflies?"_

 _"Morgana takes after you, my love. She'll always be her Daddy's girl," the Goddess above me laughs beautifully, kicking her head back in an almost shy manor. Her long platinum hair flows in the faint spring breeze, making me think I'm looking at pure moonlight in the light of day._

 _"My moonlight in the sunlight," I whisper lowly, raising my hand to her cheek. She smiles softly, laying her hand over mine. Our eyes meet, and I lean up to press my lips to hers—_

 _"_ _ **Morgana**_ _!" Elizabeth suddenly yelled, slipping out from under me. Without her legs to support my head, I face plant into the moist dirt. Spitting out some earth, I lean up on an elbow to see what made my lover act so. And, with my parental instincts flaring colorfully, what was wrong with our daughter._

 _"Put it down!" panicky chided Elizabeth, who comes rushing over to the little girl at the pond. I blink, wondering if I was seeing this correctly. One minute, Morgana's playing innocently, the next—_

 ** _She's gutting a fish?_**

 _Morgana sat quietly upon one of the stones. Her white tunic was getting stained in bright scarlet. The same red fluid was being flicked all around her. She was bent over her lap, intently studying the flopping, suffering creature she held at death's door. It was one of the magic koi fish. We had two rainbow koi in our pond; they where a gift from one of Elizabeth's friends. But, now it seems our child will have only one. My daughter, seventeen-years-old in the mindset and body of a toddler's, had captured one of these mystical fish, and held it down in her lap while she ripped open it's tender belly. What made Elizabeth and I hesitate, for a small second, was the fact that Morgana seemed oblivious to the creature's pain. Our daughter looked as mellow as she does when we go mushroom hunting together. The fish shakes as its insides are toyed with, flinging blood around in its fight. I take action now and flit over to Morgana. Scooping her up causes the girl to drop the fish in her surprise._

 _"What in hell's name are you doing, Morgana!?" I shouted, dropping the small girl onto the bank, staring intently at her. She looks up with wide green eyes, confused, with her face spotted with blood splatter and fish entrails._

 _"B—" I was upset with her. However, she's just a kid-_ _ **my**_ _kid, that is! She's just… curious, right?_

 _"Just be still, Morg'," I told her, softer this time, wiping the blood off her face. Her mother comes back now, having taken care of the koi. She and I tug her tunic off and wash away the rest of the blood. After making sure Morgana was all right, we send her to bed with a kiss from us both._

 _"Daddy," she beckoned, as we pull the red deer-hide blanket over her tiny, winged body. With her blond hair sticking up in every direction, she grabs onto my coat._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"I wa- I wanna sword,"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Wanna be strong. Like Daddy. Daddy has a sword." She pointed to the dragon hilted weapon at my belt. Elizabeth coughed for my attention, and I guiltily smile at her. She knowingly eyes my sword and then the whole of our cave- a place that we had made our home in. I understood her. We knew each other well enough to speak without words, after all. Elizabeth wanted me to leave my sword home when we were out- so Morgana doesn't get any more ideas. I huff at this, and cross my arms. "Strength comes from the heart, Morgana," I say gently, poking her chest. Mini-me only pouts and squirms under my grasp. Her wings make a halo under her body, and she uses them to push up her spine to form an arch with the small of her back._

 _"No. Wanna be strong," she waves her arms in the air, grasping it as if it will give her what she wants._

 _"Hehe, you got a far way to go, Morg',"I add, rapping an arm around Elizabeth's waist. She smiles at me sideways, before bending down to kiss Morgana's forehead. "Sleep now, my darling," she lovingly cooed, straightening herself to stand beside me. Morgana yawns and relaxes her back, right before dropping into a deep sleep. Silently, Elizabeth and I watch her rest- this child, a child we made, was innocent and oblivious to the war raging outside our borders._

 _At times like this, I wish we could pause the world to just live in harmony forever._

 _But all dreams end at one point or another._

* * *

I woke up to the sound of screaming.

Loud, fear-stricken, blood-curdling screaming. It jolts me awake rather brutally, causing me to forthwith with getting up. Like a flame to oil, I spring into action mode. Face hardened in seriousness, fists clenching to prepare for punching, knees bent and spread apart to get ready for fast moving- I was psyched for battle. Not one thought other than defeating this unforeseen foe ran through my mind.

Quickly, I examine my area- 1: I'm in my room. 2: I smell fish. 3: Elizabeth is here. 4: Elizabeth is the one who screamed. 5: Elizabeth looks _extremely_ pale. 6: I smell blood. 7: There's blood on my bed—

 _Oh my_.

"What happened!?" I enjoin for an answer, rushing over to Elizabeth. She's shaking violently, and her powder-blue eyes are wide with terror and shock. All color has drained from her naturally pale face, giving the ghostly-white look of a bloodless corpse. Her missing blood, it seems, has been painted across her once baby-pink nightie. My hearts drop into my stomach. _Elizabeth's hurt,_ I think hysterically, _and I failed to protect her._

Tears threaten to spill from the princess as I scan her face. Her eyes are wide, clouded with trauma, and they gaze over somewhere over my head. She opens her mouth to speak, but a high-pitched whine of grave distress leaves her lips instead of words.

Turning my body toward whatever seems to be the cause of her trouble, I throw my arm out across her, growling fiercely at the red that mars my vision on sight.

Blood coats our bed. And there's a **lot** of it.

The unkempt sheets, having been white once upon a time, are dripping in crimson from head to foot. It trails down both sides of the bed, fading into two trails of footsteps and droplets that lead to where we stand. I look down, and, unsurprisingly, I'm covered in blood, too. The source of this blood couldn't be Elizabeth's, however- for one thing, there's _too_ much blood that has been spilt, plus I can smell that it isn't hers. This is _more_ then the normal amount of fluid in a single, full-grown human's body.

 _This isn't human blood…_

"What happened, Elizabeth?" I insist, although kinder this time. I turn back toward my frightened charge, and gingerly place my hand over hers. She gasps, as if suddenly becoming aware of my presence this very moment. Squeezing my hand back, she visibly winded down from her scare. "Uh-, I-I'm n-not s-sure," she poorly stutters.

"It's okay, now," Reassuring her I gently, yet hastily, tug her to my door. Elizabeth follows trustingly. And right on time too, for the bedroom door is suddenly slammed open. The door itself bangs against the wall, shaking as it rocks unevenly off its screws. Ban, King, and Hawk, all stand in the doorway pumped up for a fight. Hawk huffs through his big snout, practically growling like a dog. Ban looks crazy enough to kill, but a malicious, teeth-showing smirk is spread across his vulpine face. Even King is ready for battle, yet he looks awfully worried, as he stands crowdedly next to Ban in his human-form. His fat face is red and sweating, and he wheezed out thickly, "What's wrong, Princess!?"

"If anyone dares try hurting Elizabeth, they'll have to go through me first!" Hawk yips, puffing and stamping his trotters against the floorboards. At this, I see a flash of pink hair, behind the others, make its wake up the stairs. Now just showing up, Gowther comments dully, "I am ready for battle!"

"What's with all the screamin'?" Ban shot, but his face dropped in pure shock once his red eyes met with our equally red bed.

Ban, King, and Hawk pale at the sight of us coated in blood. Gowther remained unbothered. I walk over and pull Elizabeth into my chest. I give a nod to the others, showing that we're not hurt or in danger. "We're fine." Elizabeth gasps tearlessly, still shaken, and throws her arms around my neck. I work on calming down as I let her press my face into her cleavage.

"W-what happened in here?!" Hawk cried, running back to hide behind Ban's long legs. The immortal, the most composed besides me or Gowther, frowns sadly at the mess. He stepped closer to the bed, hunched over with his hands in his pockets.

"I don't know, myself," I start. "I woke up like this,"

"Is the princess hurt-" King panics, heaving his way over. Not giving me time to answer, he leans in close to Elizabeth. "Are you hurt, milady!?"

"N-no," she manages, loosening her grip on me. I pout at this, but let it go. Her eyes meet King's concerned ones, and she surprises me by saying, "I was awakened by the sound of the window—"

"The window?!" Hawk echoed, galloping over to the single window in my room. Avoiding the puddles of blood, he makes it to the window without leaving a trail behind him. The pig stood up on his back legs and leaned against his front legs on the wall, sniffing around the window seal. Ban looks over the pink colored creature's work, before turning his gaze back to the bed. He picks up an edge of the soaked blankets, and then sticks his tongue out in disgust as a heap of what looks like flesh tumbles down. Hawk's busy tapping the glass. As they investigate, I look back up to Elizabeth and urge her to continue explaining to King and me.

"Well, I found the window open, and it was letting in a bit of a draft… I suppose it _was_ a bit chilly in the room, b-because you were shivering in your sleep, Sir Meliodas. So, uh, I got up to close it-"

Can Elizabeth get any sweeter?

"B-but, the-" she stops and sheds a single tear, turning her face away from me to hide. When she attempts to draw back her arms, I wipe her tears away for her, silently letting her know she can hold me. She flushes, yet still untangles herself from me. As a small frown forms on my mouth, I leave King to console Elizabeth while I make my way over to Gowther. He stands, barely interested, in the doorway.

"What can you find here, Gowther?" I ask, wearing my usual poker face.

Completely deadpanned, he quickly responds, "The same presence from the inn, Captain"

For the second time that day, my hearts drop into my stomach.

* * *

Mama Hawk was still treading across the valley at a quick pace, huffing to the giant who walked beside her. Diane says something along the lines of, "Good talk, Hawk's mom!" and proceeded to travel in silence beside the humongous green pig. Her pigtails flowed in the faint wind, bouncing at every heavy step she took. Upon seeing me walk onto the porch, she stepped closer to Mama Hawk and leaned in. "How's Elizabeth!?"

"She's alright," I shrug, hands in my pockets, as I wander down the Boar Hat's rickety steps. Liz's sword hung from my waist and swayed as I strolled out onto the giant pig's grass-like fur. Hawk trotted beside me.

"Elizabeth's still really shaken up, though!" At her son's comment, Hawk Mama grunts loudly. Diane frowned at the pink pig's declaration, and stood up straight. Gripping Gideon tighter, she growls, "I'll protect her,"

"Good. All of us will have to be guard, alright?"

"Should we stop for now? Gettin' a good walk could help clear our minds! Eeh, and if whoever pulled that stunt on Ellie shows back up, he'll have to fight me! I'll make em' pay~!" my four-legged pal cheers, spinning in a circle over his mother's snout. Seeing him talk comfortably with his mother makes me smile.

"Ah, Master, loyal as ever~" a shirt-less Ban suddenly butted in, slamming the Boar Hat's door behind him. He stood on the porch, lazily looking over the moving scenery. Yawning, he says, "Let's stop atta' lake or somethin'. I need to get this ass smell off me,"

"Humph… only thinks for himself," Diane glowered at the immortal man from the corner of her eye. The Fox Sin sassily waves his hand dismissively at her, leaning on a wooden column at the porch. Smirking like a homicidal rapist, Ban chuckles darkly at the giantess's rude remark. I can hear him scrape the wood under his sharp nails from where I stand. All his sharp-white teeth are showing, and his six-pack strains under his unscarred skin. His tattered red jeans hang loosely on his pelvis; they're low enough that it shows the starting trail of pubic hairs.

"Actually, it's not such a bad idea," I say thoughtfully, scratching the back of my neck. It certainly wasn't a _terrible_ proposal. We hadn't stopped to bath since a week or two ago, and sometime yesterday Diane mooted that Elizabeth had put forth the same request. Looking up at the sky while slipping my scratching-hand back into its pocket home, I decide, "Sure. We'll stop for the evening,"

"Aw yeah!" Ban whooped. His red eyes gleamed with excitement and pleasure at knowing his idea was accepted by me. Jerk his face to his much larger comrade, he jeers, "How 'bout _them_ apples, ya' tramp?!"

" _You miserable little shit_ -" The giantess seethed, reaching over to grab the laughing man. Ban was still cackling madly in victory, even when Diane squished him in her hands.

I stood next to Mama Hawk's ear, leaning against the warm pork-flesh. My arms are crossed over my chest as I watch the two squabble at each other. Hawk was just finishing up with his mom when he came over to me. His rosy, floppy ears twitch energetically as he plops down beside my feet. Hawk's black eyes fix themselves on me, and he grunts for my attention. Looking back up at Diane and Ban, I see that they're still quarreling.

I knew what Hawk was demanding my attention for.

Sighing knowingly, I sit myself down beside the pig. He regards me suspiciously as I cross my legs. "It's about Elizabeth, isn't it?"

Hawk snorted at this. Glaring daggers, his hoofs clap together as he makes his claim, "How did Elizabeth get pregnant!?" he whisper-shouts. "I had my eye on you 24/7 before those Hibernian men came in the bar!"

I felt the need to be proud at 'getting Elizabeth pregnant'. Heh, despite our failed first attempt, maybe we could try again? She's an Apostle of the Goddesses in this form- not a full-blooded Goddess! Although, we have yet to even _kiss_ in this lifetime. And here I am, planning parenthood.

Despite Elizabeth not being actually pregnant, I smirk like an ass. "Well, Hawk, when a mommy and a daddy love each other _very_ much—"

"Erg, bastard! I could sue you for deflowering of the princess!" Hawk shouts, loudly this time, and the two jabbering Sins look over at us. This does not go unnoticed by me, and I spy them from the edge of my vision. Still looking at the pig, I bring my finger to my lips. 'Shhhh,' I mouth.

"No! I won't let you get away with this, you midget bastard!" The pig cursed before viciously biting into the cloth of my sleeveless tailcoat. Ooh, _midget bastard?_ Hawk's getting mighty fine colorful in his language! Sniggering, I respond playfully, "A man has his needs!"

I did my best at explaining to Hawk that Elizabeth was _not_ pregnant. It took some time to get the pig's mind wrapped around the fact that A) I did not _'deflower_ ' the princess, and B) This is all Morgana's fault. Not once did I dare go into the fact that Elizabeth is my reincarnated soulmate from three thousand years ago. The pig was happy to find that I hadn't taken advantage of the girl who was currently sitting upon Diane's shoulder.

Elizabeth had come outside with Gowther and King around an hour or two ago, and had successfully calmed down from this morning's little wake up call. All the available Sins have been entertaining her for most of the late morning and noon. Ban had told drunken stories of his 'Bandit Ban' days, but after his eighth cup of ale he past out on the porch. So, with no more stories from the immortal, Elizabeth had gone to Diane for some girl-time. When it was clear the two had nothing else _girly_ to talk about, King made his way to float beside the princess and giantess. The three of them shared what seemed to be silly stories, and laughed hysterically every other minute. Even Gowther had attempted to make Elizabeth feel safe again. Earlier, in the Boar Hat, he apparently had read aloud to her from one of his books while King cleaned our sullied room.

Everyone was concerned about my lovely charge, but even more so about what- rather, in this case, _who-_ was behind her stress. Gowther was sitting quietly beside me with his book, reading intently. Ban, joined by Hawk, lay forgotten at the porch as he snored away against the wood. It was in this time that I could properly process my thoughts.

Yesterday was super eventful. Elizabeth and I had barely _any_ time together. And let's not forget Patrick and Aralt's decomposing bodies. Gowther had reported that both goddess and demon magic were found at the scene. As much as I'd like to believe that maybe a goddess and a demon had a show-down in that inn instead of Morgana dealing whatever cards she played, I knew I had to face the truth. Morgana was back, and it was clear that she wasn't here for a touching reunion.

And it was **Morgana** who pulled that little stunt this morning. She must've been so close to me… in the same _room_ as me! After millenniums of having erased her from my mind, she dares show up now, only to scare Elizabeth and I half to death. Lo and behold, I was busy snoozing away while she crept around the same space I existed in.

I grimace.

Speaking of snoozing, what happened last night besides Morgana somehow sneaking in?

"-then he remembered that he had left the prankster-imp in the bag!" King's voice broke through my thoughts as I lay across Mama Hawk's green back. My frown turns upside down, and I throw a interested glance back at the lively bunch. Elizabeth was holding onto Diane's hairline, clutching her belly as poorly concealed laughter fell from her plump, pink lips. King was waving his hands around to explain his joke, smiling goofily as Diane gripped Gideon to her chest while cackling.

"It's so stupid that it's funny!" Diane managed through a giggle, blushing as she made eye contact with King. When Elizabeth noticed that her ride and the fairy king were giving goo-goo eyes at each other, she asked to be let down onto Mama Hawk. The giantess puffed and mumbled something at the request, but let her down anyway. Diane gingerly lifted the princess onto her palm, and lowered her down onto the ginormous pig. Touching base, Elizabeth cheerily skipped off into my direction.

I smirked up at her while lying down, watching her bounce over to me. Today's outfit was a well-made dark navy blue dress, reaching down to her mid-thigh, with an ashen white doll collar and cuffs. It was finished with a black belt and scarf. "Hello, Sir Meliodas, and Sir Gowther!"

"Hiya Elizabeth!" I greeted, instantly feeling a million times better now that she was here. I eagerly pat the free space beside me. Gowther made a small wave in greeting to the silverette, even asking her, "How did you like _Her Justice,_ Princess?" Elizabeth smiled sweetly at the other, brushing the waves down in her dress as she sat beside me. Pulling her legs up to her chest protectively, she answers him with, "I really liked it! Um, w-would it be alright if I borrow it sometime?"

"Of course, Your Highness,"

"Hmm. Thank you, Sir Gowther!"

With much merit, Elizabeth goes into explaining the stories King shared with her and Diane. Applying appropriate response when necessary, I lean against Elizabeth's side and exhale tiredly, watching the land roll bye.

 _What's Morgana planning?_

* * *

"All right guys! We're just staying here for the night, so make sure to be bright eyed and bushy tailed by dawn, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go take a leak~"

"Mhmm! Me and King'll set up camp!"

"I am rather caught up with the wind changes—"

"I'll go look for some yummy food!"

We settled by a large pond, hidden in the comfort of a willow tree forest. These trees send a punch into my gut, memories threatening to surface, but I handle it with a tight-nit smile.

"S-sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth squeaked beside me, and I pat her rump for comfort- for me or for her, who knew? Reacting as per usual, the silver-haired princess tap-dances to my other side. "Yes, Elizabeth?"

"I'm going to go bath, so, um, is there anything you'd like me to do before?"

 _Strip and do a lap dance for me._ "You don't got anything to worry about, Elizabeth! Once this is all over, we'll go back to Liones and make a permanent home for the Boar Hat there. Just keep on' looking forward to that, and we'll be good as gold."

Elizabeth's one blue eye studies me carefully, before her face finally relaxed with the deep sigh she takes. "Alright…"

She's still mad at me, I note, as I watch her turn off toward the brush. She and her navy blue dress vanished behind the greenery. Her innocent spring-y scent still clinging to me, I make a quick look around. We're in a pretty secluded area, so if Morgana decided to up and make her appearance, she'd have to enter with a bang. I I felt even more at ease at the fact that Diane and King were guarding the entrance to this sleepy little forest. Ban was no were in sight, and Gowther was settled in the tavern, so I had nothing to do. Hands in pockets, I casually waltz on over to the lake, following the rustle of clothing.

Elizabeth stood at the tiny mossy cliff that overlooked the large pond, with her dress unzipped and pooling at her hips. Her shoes and belt lay forgotten across a rock. Sliding the garment down her well-developed thighs, she gives her hips a little wiggle to help the action.

"Hmm. I sure am lucky to see such a fine womanly butt,"

"Eep!"

Elizabeth yelped out in surprise, whipping her head back to me with the color drained from her face. Shocked beyond surprise is what'd I call her current state, and she trips over her dress. She falls into the water, splashing and fussing over something I couldn't understand. "S-sir! I'm not modest!"

"I don't mind!" And, in under ten seconds, I'm stripped of my clothes. Jumping into the water with her, she eeps yet again and doggy-paddles behind the other side of the clef.

The water was crisp and clean, adding to the achingly familiar setting. Just like our home three thousand years ago, it was mystical and refreshing. Wind gently shook the leaves of the surrounding trees that overlook the water, and the fading sun shone their reflection in the blue waters. Elizabeth's panicked state causes ripples to form across the once-pristine pond. Shrugging, more or less throwing my painful memories off, I waddle on over to Elizabeth. The least I could do was make her feel loved, after how much of a meanie I've been.

"Sir Meliodas, I'm naked! Please, let me get dressed first—"

"Dressed? But we just got in!" I reasoned, swimming behind her and brushing a hand across her stomach. Flinching and blushing like a screaming virgin during her first time, she darts across the pond while clutching her boobs. I watch her paddle with three limbs, and laugh at how adorably beautiful she was. Her hair wet clinging to her slim back, or her flushed face and chest, either one was a turn on, but she was all and more right now. Feeling myself getting too excited, I brush back my subconscious with an agreeing purr- perhaps… tonight, we might indulge in our desires.

My darker other half purrs back.

In every form Elizabeth took, she never failed to get my blood pumping. Be it in anxiety for her safety, depression from my past failures in saving her, or excitement from arousal, Elizabeth always had me going. Of course, she was my everything. Unfortunetly, I haven't been able to be physically intimate with her in every life she takes. The ones I have been was Elizabeth the goddess, Beth the seamstress, Liz the warrior, and hopefully soon, Elizabeth the princess. I haven't forgotten about the other life forms of hers- they're _all_ her- some being Eliza the traveling elfin doctor, or Ellie the small-town waitress. But when we come together in a lover's embrace, something seems to click in her mind that we belong together. I don't know what, but once we cross that line, she realizes she's stuck to me like glue. What's unique about Elizabeth now, was that she's already given me her loyalty without having to do the horizontal tango. What will she do once we cross this line?

We played in the waters, me mostly chasing after her partly nude self. We splash and laugh around like young children without a worry in the world. I teasingly brush against her every now and then, loving how she blushed furiously at my advances. When it became clear that Diane, King, or Gowther (Ban and Hawk were still missing) were not coming to bath, I began herding Elizabeth into the shallow ends, where rocks jutted into the pool and willows hung like curtains. Having finally pinned her to a corner, I asked, as quietly, gingerly, and politely as I could, if I could kiss her.

She agrees.

Now, we have somehow stumbled our way to the bank, tangled in the other. I lay her across the bank, teasingly nibbling her upper lip. She gasps as she's exposed, giving no time to guard herself as I settle between her long pale legs. Pushing her against the earth, we both find each other's mouth by pure instinct. Even though Elizabeth's untouched in this life, she and the rest of her reincarnates have been so keen as to kiss me. With it just us, in such an intimate pose, she makes no attempt to cover her one orange goddess eye.

"S-sir Meliodas—" she huffs, her face under my chin. I tilt her head up, callused hands hot, and press my lips against her virgin ones. Elizabeth shyly presses back, finally having gotten a decent idea about kissing after my one-sided example. We crane our necks, as if this would get us closer, as I grip the panties still hugging her blush bottom. Our feet in the water, we, slowly, sensually start to rut against the other. She moans softly, her chest rising and falling quickly as I grope her flesh and hoof my fingers over the elastic of her panties. I ground my hips into hers, and she bucks her knees up, wrapping her legs across my hips and thighs. My body atop of hers, we huff out clouds of heavy breath like aggressive dragons into the chilly dusk air. Mist and sweat cling to our bodies like a second skin. I finally rid her off her last piece of clothing. Elizabeth becomes more rigid in my arms. Still rocking with her, I work on massaging her tense shoulders.

"Mhmm— tell me where it feels good, Elizabeth. You, you can relax," she whines at my command, having been trying to mold her body unto mine, curling herself into a partial fetal position. However, after taking my sweet words to heart, she relents and relaxes. Now, Elizabeth's splayed across the earthy ground, grass as her comfort. Her breasts pool on her heaving chest, her nipples pink-red and hardened, with sweat glistening across her milky pale skin. She blushes and mewls, averting my gaze as she's always done, every time, all the time. Groaning at her heavenly beauty, praising her for being so cute, so lovely, just for me, pleading with her to let me just _worship_ her right now- I may be buck-naked (and baring a woodie backed up seventeen years), but I knew I had to keep my focus on Elizabeth's well being.

Out of all of us, she was the most stressed right now. Elizabeth may not be a Sin, but she picked up the bad auras and stressors from the others. She was affected by things more than the rest of us. Basically, Elizabeth was the unofficial stress-reliever for everyone. It was the main reason why everyone loved her; she eased their worries by carrying them _for_ them— even if no one realizes it. But I do. I always do. But sometimes Elizabeth takes in too much. With her worried sick over me, and juggling her rare disappointment, what was I to do besides tell her it'll be alright? I know Elizabeth. If I told her about our past lives together, or about Morgana, she'd be emotionally comatose. If I told her about Morgana without telling her she's my reincarnated soulmate, she'd get the assumption that I'm a player. I know she knows about Liz…. And this morning certainly didn't help anything get better! This moment, though, in her arms, whispering words of devotion, was something I could give for her now. Sighing as her fingers grasp my neck hairs, I gently lower my body over hers.

She whimpers out, "S-sir—"

"Shh, Elizabeth, it's alright. I've got you—"

"N-no, s—"

"…Hmm?"

"P-Please, w-w-wait—"

I force myself to lean up, bashing away the wild feral-ness in my chest and hearts. Elizabeth's hands trail up my back and into my hair, but she's not petting me in pleasure. Rather, she pulls my head back to look at her from above. Still panting, she gazes up at me teary-eyed. "Sir Meliodas," she whispers, seriously. Did I do something wrong? Am I poking her abdomen with my one-eyed-snake the wrong way?

"P-please,"

"Please, what?"

"I- I _can't_ —"

I scramble off of her, crossing my legs over to guard my throbbing sex. The damp earth beneath the grass claws at my palms, no longer soft. My nose flares as I watch Elizabeth pull her legs up to her chest protectively. The silver-haired virgin pats around the ground for her panties, and grabs them like it's a lifeline once she finds them.

"What's wrong? Is this too fast?" I ask, surprised at how jittery I am. Hearts beating wild, Elizabeth hugs herself to hide her flushed body. Yet, she doesn't pull her underwear back on. Rather, she looks at me with her hair covering her face. She opens her mouth to speak, but only whimpers and frustrated stutters leave.

I immediately feel horrible. Elizabeth's _barely_ seventeen. I don't even think she knows how babies are made. I growl viciously like an untamed animal in my head, cussing and screaming at my demonic other-half. My inner evil twin fights back as both of us work on taking the upper hand here. What my animalistic, purely physical, side wants, is to shut Elizabeth up, throw her back down onto the bank, and mount her as our own. I'm not going to lie and say I don't want that (because I _really_ do), but I prefer our first time together to a slow, loving manner. My logical mind won my sane side over most of the time, as it was doing now.

"M-meliodas,"

I blink and force my attention back on her. She averts my gaze. "Yeah, Elizabeth?"

"I don't think… I don't think I c-can do this— I—i-it's too much, I'm _sorry_ —"

I'm screaming.

I'm thrashing.

My sexual needs and my love for her fight in what could be the start of a new Holy War. Yet, I sit, calmly, quelling my erection down, making myself look understanding and respectful of Elizabeth's wishes. I put on a little smile and pat her head. Now she looks up at me. "Don't be silly. If you don't want to sleep with me, that's okay. It's also _really_ okay if you wanna do it, too. Just be truthful to me, Mhmm? I only want you to be happy, because that's what really matters to me,"

Elizabeth blushes even harder this time, her multi-colored eyes widening at my statement. Her bruised lips gape bashfully. "Yo- Si-"

"Besides, you don't need experience with me!" I smirk, groping her breast in my hands. She eeps and scoots away.

"T-that's not what I was going to say, Sir Meliodas!"

"Ooh?" _Something more?_

"Isn't… isn't this—" she motions between us. I crawl beside her, herding her back into the waters while listening. She relents and stays put, though. "—what married couples do?"

I pause.

I ponder.

I tilt my head and look at her quizzically, eyes wide and poker-faced. I've been pouting because she wasn't getting into the waters (I really wasn't forcing her, just an attempt at play to apologies for me coming on to fast), but I was busy fixated on what she wanted to say. Now, with her admitting what's her problem, I'm left feeling like an idiot.

I can't believe I haven't thought about this. Girls of royal status are considered worse than dirt if they sleep with a man before marriage. And sweet little Elizabeth here was nothing but self-respecting. How could I think she'd open her legs for me?

"It is," I admit somberly. I relax against her, my body pressed against her side. She shivers, still nervous.

"I'm n-not saying you shouldn't put yourself down because of me! If you want to do those things, I don't mind you finding someone! Or j-just tell me w-what to do—" Elizabeth cried, facing me with new found courage. She looks almost panicked, like the whole world would come to an end if I didn't have sex.

There was a 49% chance of that happening. But now as I understand her thoughts, I tilt my head against hers and sigh. "Elizabeth. The only one I want to be intimate with is you. No one else,"

"But- you-" her eyes shift downward to my lap. She flushes yet again and fidgets around like crazy. Following her previous eyesight, I see that I have yet to get completely un-erected.

"Don't feel like you have a responsibility to help me, Elizabeth. I don't mind being frustrated for you,"

"F-frustrated?"

"Hehe, how can I not be hot and bothered for a fine woman like you?" I goofily smile, my hand cupping her rump. She yelps and abruptly decides to go back into the water. I follow, the sound of crickets the only other sound besides us, and Diane's distance snoring. While chasing her, an idea pops into my head.

A horribly, wonderfully deceitful idea.

If it goes well, there'd be a happy ending for all—mostly, anyway. If it goes well, Morgana would be put to an end. If it goes well, I'd have a chance to be with Elizabeth.

 _If a baby suddenly popped into the picture, Morgana would either do one of two things. Run away from my business (and everyone else's) altogether, OR, she would come barreling or bawling back to Elizabeth and I._

The only way to be with Elizabeth, in which we could stay in her comfort-zone (and therefor, mine), was to wed her. Not a big deal, for we have the rest of eternity together, anyway. Plus, all would know that she was mine and I was hers. I'd get to grope her all I wanted without being bug-eyed. Maybe even Hawk might let up on running me over every time I touched her.

But most importantly, I'd get to do what I'm currently planning to do.

"Do you like kids, Elizabeth?"

"Children? Of course!" she cheers, suddenly more relaxed. I sneakily brush up beside her. I press a kiss to her shoulder, and only then does she realize my closeness. She lets me, but doesn't return it, despite the sensual shivers she makes.

"Do you wanna have some one day?"

"Well, I-I mean, I guess so—" her face brightens for a small second at my question, but then her eyes downcast dramatically. Turning her gaze away from mine, she runs her damp hair over her goddess eye. "I guess I just don't want to have them with someone I don't love,"

"Do you love someone?" I cringe at the thought of her chasing someone other than me.

"Well… yes," she blushes and averts my gaze, choosing to stare at my chest. I lean up, nose to her chin, and she squeaks.

"Do you love me?"

"…Yes, I do, Sir Meliodas."

I'm surprised by her honesty, but glad. It's to be expected, after all! Elizabeth doesn't give me chance to response, though, for she throws her hands over her face and screams 'sorry!' before vanishing under the waters. I sigh, rolling my eyes, and pull her back up and hug her to my chest. She's stuttering about something I don't understand, but allows me to cup her cheeks.

"Heh. I love you, too, Elizabeth,"

She stares at me like I've grown a second head. I smirk and kiss her. This time, she doesn't hesitate to reproach. "I thought— I-I thought you didn't care about me that way—"

"Why would I want to kiss you if I didn't wanna do it, silly?" She looks so wonderfully happy all of a sudden, blushing wildly with this cute little smile that screamed _'it's the best day ever!_ ' Tears form at the corner of her eyes, and she lets them fall without guilt. I hold back my darker instincts to throw her on the bank again, especially with her naked against-

I freeze. Sniffing, my vision suddenly faulters. My hearts stop in dread.

Elizabeth has that pregnant smell again.

"…That, maybe, you wanted to teased me… or, you wanted to do 'those' things, and the Sins are too important to you for these kind of… activities…"

"I've loved you since the day we met," I whisper, absentminded, pressing my forehead against hers. I force my demonic anger down yet again. Why was Elizabeth giving off that smell again? I push back my problems and focus on her. "So, wanna marry me, Elizabeth?"

She tears up even more. I grin madly, hugging her closer. She grips my arms, shivering. Smiling, she answers, "Y—"But, before she can answer me, we're interrupted.

By Ban's screams of pain.

* * *

Ban lumbered through the forest. Hawk trotted beside him, huffing as he sniffed the ground. "I don't smell nothin'!"

"Well—" Ban hiccups, taking a drink from his bottle of ale, "we can live offa this stuff!"

" _Ale_? Are you stupid?" Hawk chides, skipping over a rock triumphantly, because in his mind, he's as big and as strong as his mama. "We gotta find real food!"

"Aw, common, Master! Don't call me stupid!" the immortal slurs, falling down next to Hawk. The pig curses at him and stamps a hoof.

"You're drunker than a skunk!"

"But, I smell better than a skunk!"

"Hold on, you ninny. Let me go get Meliodas— only he can handle you!"

"Noo, Master, don't," Ban demands. Hawk, surprised by the intoxicated man's request, pauses in his step. Throwing his gaze around, he sees nothing around them but brush. No one would walk in on them.

"It's about Meliodas, isn't it?"

"…Yea,"

"What are we going to do?" Hawk asks. Meliodas, his friend, really hadn't been all so great lately. He seemed much more tense as of late, and he was hardly speaking. Meliodas was even avoiding Hawk! Hell, the pig (and Ban) is his best friend, right? Yet the blonde hadn't once come up to him (or Ban) in an offer to a drinking contest, or an arm wrestle, or to just joke around. That wasn't like Meliodas. Not one bit.

And seeing their captain act like this put _everyone_ on edge. Plus, how were they to deal with the elephant in the room? The one being that _no one_ knew what Meliodas even was. It's obvious he's not human, and probably not immortal like Ban. Even Ban can't do the things Meliodas does. No Sin could.

Hawk sits sadly beside the man. He sniffled. "What are we gonna do once Morgana shows up? If she's really his daughter…"

"'If she's his daughter' ain't nothing! If Cap'n wants her dead, we kill the bitch. If Cap'n wants her alive, we throw her in'a sack. If Cap'n wants her tied up on his bed, we don't question it. If _Cap'n_ —!" Ban shouts and sits up, running frustrated hands through his white hair. "I swore to follow Cap'n to the ends of the earth. I have no relation to his daughter, so I'm not in a place to object,"

Hawk says nothing to this, just stares off into the dark of the forest. Night had fallen, and their only light was the moon and the twinkling stares. Crickets fill their deafening silence.

"You're right…" Hawk agrees, depressed. They sit like that for several more moments, until a strange scent suddenly catches the pig's attention. He tilts his head, pink ears perking curiously. Ban doesn't notice, just sips his ale, getting drunker, crossing his legs. "What's that?" Hawk asks.

"What's wa-?" Ban broadly croaked.

"I smell… somethin'!"

"Wat if' it…?"

"Like, like, like it's Meliodas, almost—"

Ban's altered attention sparks. He jumps to his heals, but not without stumbling. "Wha'd you say, Master!?"

"But… it's also like Elizabeth's smell after that fight with Hendrickson…"

"Wat? Speak up,"

"Yeah…" Both are confused, worried, and tired. They had been walking around since dusk, and at least an hour had gone by since. Besides that, Ban could barely stand on his own two feet. He wasn't fit to fight properly. The idea that a possible threat had found them was terrifying to Hawk. Ban straightens his jacket and pulls his collar up. Hiccupping, he stumbles backwards and trips over a tree branch. His glass miraculously didn't break, so the immortal just lifts it up and poorly tries to drink from it. It ends up slashing across his face. Drunkenly, he exclaims, snickering, "Let meh at her'!"

" _At_ me? What're you going to do, take me out to dinner?"

Hawk yells in surprise, looking around frantically for the source of the newcomer. He shivers with fear, knowing that if he was human, he'd be sweating up a storm. He hides behind the drunken Ban, squealing as a horrible evil aura washes over them. At the same time, it's tempting, as if it was trying to comfort him. He knew better than to give in, though. "Don't make me come out! I'll give you a good beating!"

"I'm so scared," the female's voice responds, hissing in pure disgust. "I'm shivering in my pig-skin boots," The voice echoes around them. The poor animal whines and nearly pisses himself at the female's accusation. "Such a rude little piggy… I should shut you up,"

A metal zipper forms across Hawk's mouth, closing his lips. He whines and panics, trying to tug off the magical item. It's locked. The pig, having already pee'd himself, runs off while humming 'mommy' through closed lips.

Ban grimaces. "You bitch. Come on and fight me! You hurt Master!"

"Fight? Don't you _dare_ tell me what to do," she snaps. However, the echoing begins to pinpoint to a single location. Ban, drunk and aggressive, desperately works on standing still. He curses his drinking habits. _I really need to quit this shit_ … he thinks, and tries to focus on his new enemy.

A girl appears in front of him. She's as tall as the Captain's princess, slim and womanly, too. She's long-haired and vibrant-eyed, like a mage. But this girl has no friendly and all-loving aura like the Captain, or Merlin. She's just… pure chaos. Pure cold, merciless calculation. Like a demon who actually had reason for it's evilness.

The immortal felt lost and confused in her presence.

"Hello, Ban, long time no see. It's been a while..." she says, ending with a light hiss. The girl is wearing something showy, Ban sees, like what Merlin wears, but more eloquent and flashy. Ban only knows that it's hot on her. His vision blurs and doubles. The snow-haired man wonders if there is one girl or five.

But, Ban _did_ know that this girl was just as magical as Merlin, if not more. She had a similar, poweful feel on her, yet it couldn't be placed. Besides the point, he muses, she looked more provocative than Merlin herself. She growled at Ban's drunken staring.

"You… Cap'n's kid?" he slurs, meeting her eyes. He was dedicated to Elaine, but he was a man- he had thoughts. He was also very drunk.

"You daft fucking cur. You should know me. I'm Morgan, the unforgivable Sin," she waved an hand across the man's face, but he doesn't falter.

Ban tilts an eyebrow, dizzy. " _Shiiiiin_? You- you- you ain't no Sin! There be seven!"

"Eight, idiot. One was put down by the great sages of our past. I am the one no one wishes to face,"

"No one wanna's face any one—"

"Yes, but it is the cause of them all." This girl, Ban decides, is nuts. _None_ of his comrades talked like how she's talking- she's insane, he decides. But, he's also drunk. Are they going to fight are what? Where was he again, anyway? Where was the Captain? Who is this chick?

"Humph. I'm here to take your blood. I need it for my future,"

 _What? What future?_ He pondered, swaying back and forth. The girl moves, lifts his arm and slices his wrist before he can process what's happening. Ban snarls in the protest, moving to strike the woman. However, she's too quick and moves back with a blood-filled vile. She waves it around with a satisfied smirk, as if she as small child who just got exactly what she wanted

"Wa—"

"You are drunk. And, you can't even keep your eyes on me. Idiot." Ban blinks, and remembers he should be fighting her. She's the enemy... right? Why, again? Yet, the insane girl suddenly vanished like mist. He turns around, startled. She's over him, now, with arcs of bright white behind her. "I might as well try to get you a little more sober. Some fun never hurt anyone, right-? Ban, the Fox's Sin of Greed?" She places a sharp nailed hand on his chest, looking furious and wild, serious and cunning, yet looked as dead and as empty as a corpse all at once.

Something was very, very wrong with her, Ban decides.

She whispered to him lowly, "Wish to know a secret, Ban? I killed Elaine."

* * *

Ten bucks to whoever can guess what sin Morgana thinks she is.


	6. Chapter 6: Coming Undone

A/N: Please read end note!

* * *

Both Elizabeth and I became paralyzed with tension. My dear's fingers grasp my shoulders for different reasons, now, and I clutch her hips harder. The once peaceful and romantic setting we had hatched was now dark and fearsome. My eyes narrowed, I hastily search the forest for the cause of the panic.

"That was Sir Ban!" Elizabeth cried, pulling away from me. Quickly, we paddle to the shore and pull our clothes over damp bodies. This was not a time to care about looks or comforts.

"Go get the others!" I order her, skipping off while pulling a shoe on. I grasp Liz's sword in hand and flit off. Elizabeth's response fell on deaf ears, but I made note to console her after whatever is happening is over. After all, who leaves their fiancé in the dust like that?

The wind runs through my hair as I leap over tree branch and root, the nightly scents of the earth making me more alert and agile. Ban's frightening screaming was enough to put me on edge, and it was doing a pretty good job, too. I had heard my friend shout in pain before, several times, actually, but not once had I heard him scream like this. It reminded me of a buffalo that's been fatally wounded, but refuses to die just yet, choosing to yowl and scream and thrash in agonizing pain instead. My grip on my sword tightens, and I leap onto the clearing where Ban was.

He's leaned against a tree, hugging the trunk with one arm while hugging his abdomen with the other. Bent by the waist, he cried out with blood pooling from his stomach and mouth. "Fucking hell!" he screamed, visibly holding back tears and whimpers.

"Ban!"

"T-that fucking _bitch_ —"

"What happened?"

"Ale's what—" Ban was drunk. I could smell the bittersweet scent of my favorite drink on his mouth as I approach. A broken, bloody bottle lay at his bare feet, the other half lodged into his side.

The wound was not closing up.

"Sh-she just came… outta nooooo where!" Ban whines, slamming his head against the tree. It creaks under his strength, but I knew that if he were stronger at the moment, he'd break the tree in half. With a clement grip, I slowly start to unravel Ban from himself. He groans, toppling over me. "Cap'n, it hurts—"

"I know, buddy, I know. Just hold on, kay'? We'll get cha' fixed up," I reassure, keeping my ground as I let him use me for balance. The immortal pants, his scarcely clothed chest shivering against me. His breath was raggid and short, quick bouts of air leaving his pale lips. He blubbers something incoherent, and not even my demonic senses can understand him.

"Captain? Ban?" Called out King, who makes his way into the clearing. Once he sees us, he rushes to help. However, the chaos only gets more hectic. After handing Ban to Diane who carries him off to the tavern, King and Gowther bombard me with question after question. Hawk was nowhere in sight.

"Sir Pig is at the bar," King tells me as we rush back. Gowther at my heel, I nod.

"What happened?" I ask, for a second time.

"W-" Gowther interrupts. "The pig had a lip-sealing spell put on him before he came running to the tavern. He is with his mother—"

"Magic?" I mumble, and King nods.

"He's pretty shaken up. We'd already come looking for you guys a little while before the Princess returned."

"You don't say?" Morgana's attacked us, that's for sure. How she did it was above me. I could only guess that she'd slipped past through our defense when King and Diane where sleeping. Gowther rarly slept, so I narrow my eyes over to him. _Why didn't you alert anyone_?

"I was reading."

"Gowther, no more reading for a month."

* * *

Elizabeth was all but spit-fire once we got back. She and a shrunken Diane were in the spare bedroom with Ban, who was spewing nonsense.

"Let me at her! Let me at her! I'll break her face in for ruining my threads!" The red-eyed man shouts, thrashing weakly in Diane's hold. The giantess grunts as she fights against him. She yells over Ban's own yelling to get him to be still. Elizabeth was trying to keep the calm of the room, but was pale and worried-faced, as she dashed across the room to gather necessities.

"S-sir Meliodas! You've returned!" Elizabeth squeaked once she saw me come in, her face blooming like a red-rose. She looked ready to start babbling in embarrassment, yet she kept her head and continued working.

"Are you guys just going to stand there or help me!?" Diane snapped. I don't hesitate to jog over, pushing Ban's shoulders down onto the bed. He grunts and glares up at me.

"Ban, what happened?"

" _Bitch whore is wat' happened_!" he slurred, before violently coughing up a puddle of blood across his stomach. Elizabeth gasped in shock and rushed to Ban's side. She dabbed a wet cloth on his sweaty face.

"Please be more careful, Sir Ban,"

"Who attacked you and Hawk!?" Diane shrieked, furious and livid. She pulls off the remains of Ban's jacket and threw it to the side. "Good _Goddess_ —"

Ban's side was bruised. Yet, that's an understatement. The veins under his skin were swollen and bluish black. The bottle lodged into his skin moved along with the man's struggles, oozing dark vital fluid. My poor bastard of a friend cried out for the hundredth time when Diane tried to examine it. " _Dammit, don't touch it!"_

"Can you help him, Princess?" King gently pressed, floating beside the two girls. Both young ladies share an uneasy glance, the shrunken Sin looking just as plead-some as the fairy beside her. The one blue-eyed girl looks back and forth between King and Diane, before shifting her gaze to the suffering Ban. Ban whines and mumbles something in his intoxicated state.

"I'll do my best!" she decides, before laying her hands on the white-haired man's side. Her once worried expression turns into pure concentration, as she begins to call forth her goddess powers. Ban peeks his eyes open, but, upon seeing Elizabeth, he waves her away as if she was a poisonous snake.

" _Don't you f-fucking touch me, d-demon_!"

Everyone stares in shock. Seeing our invincible companion act as if he was a suffering, dying mortal was enough as it was. But an hallucinating one? Too much! Ban thrashed and howled, shouting accusations about us trying to murder him, and that we were all aliens that took over his friends' bodies. "He's really sick," I say quietly.

"Who did this…" King questions aloud, placing a gentle hand on Ban's forehead. The man only growls at him. I shake my head and usher the others away.

"We should be at the Druids' by morning. For now, let's all get some sleep… Let Ban sober up," everyone begrudgingly agrees to go, with Elizabeth and I being the last ones to leave. I tie Ban down by his wrists and ankles with old belts, hoping they keeps him from hurting himself anymore. Getting a hand from Elizabeth, we pull out the bottle and dress the wound. Elizabeth tried her magic on Ban again, but it was no use. This wound could not be healed by half-goddess means. I hate to admit it, and it puts a horrible taste in my mouth when I think of it, but Ban's only hope lay with the Druids. That, or a goddess comes down from the heavens. Like that'd ever happen. We leave quickly after.

The princess looks at me with worried eyes, so I give her half-hearted smile and pat her head. I detest seeing her so down. What I need the most right now was to just spend some time with Elizabeth, but I had a lot of work to do tonight. "I'll meet you upstairs?" she was openly reluctant to my request.

"I can help you and the others, Sir Meliodas," Elizabeth says, eyes serious. I sigh and cross my arms, giving her a lamentable smile.

"Elizabeth. I'll tell you when we need your help, but for now, just stay out of it, alright?" An immediate feeling of regret washes over me. I had said something towards Elizabeth that was a bit too harsh. She deserved better treatment. True, I wanted her behind me, where I knew she'd be safe, but I could have worded this better. She let me know that I had crossed a line when her expression slowly drops. My fiancé lifts her head up and spoke lowly, "Of course. I will just go…"

I curse inwardly. I'm nearly tempted to say it in demon tongue, too. My instincts were flaring like mad, and I was having a harder time keeping my demonic subconscious under wraps.

If things keep spiraling out of my control like this, I'll have nothing left.

Speaking of my evil half, it was brewing up a mighty storm in my mind. Compared to how it's now, it was just a misbehaved puppy then. Now, it's a rabid dog in a rickety old cage, threating to let loose and set chaos and havoc upon everything it once loved. I really, _really_ , needed to get myself together! Not for myself, but for everyone. I cannot lead them if I'm a heartless, bloodthirsty demon. Huffing frustratedly, I leave the room after Elizabeth. Ban was still spewing stuff about demons.

* * *

King stops me at the doorway. His expression is dark and serious, and his arms are crossed over his child-sized chest. "I need to speak with you, Captain,"

"Sure."

My senses tell me that Elizabeth has gone upstairs, as I had requested. Good. One less thing I have to worry about. Hawk is in the tavern, safe, and downstairs with Diane. They make a rather large rucuss down there. I'd guess that they were making dinner. Why, I wasn't sure. Did any of us want to eat? Them, I suppose.

King taps his foot nervously, before letting out a loud, "It was your daughter, wasn't it!? She's responsible for hurting Ban, isn't she?" King spat, suddenly breaking his calm. He pulls at his auburn hair, the strands threatening to tear off his scalp.

This is unlike him. King was not one quick to blame someone- that was Hawk's and Diane's job. King's was to look at everything and decide rationally what the best solution was to something. He was a king. He was born like that. However, he's looking no less mature about this than a five year old who didn't get what he wanted for his birthday. He's red-cheeked, teary eyed, lip-bitten, and looks ready to just _ **scream**_ _._ Hey, it was how I felt on the inside, currently, but I'm doing a much better job of keeping my stuff together than the fairy. Plus, I'm currently battling my demonic subconscious. King's old enough to keep his head straight (most of the time). What's gotten into him? He was once so sweet and cute…

"Probably," I admit, shrugging. If I act nonchalant, hopefully he will, too. After all, what goes around comes around, right? King stares me down with a whole new light. I mentally groan, seeing how my carefree manner was not rubbing off on him.

" _Probably!?_ If- if- _she_ can hurt Ban, with just a _beer_ _bottle_ , how safe are _we_? Shouldn't you face her already?"

No. I didn't want to face her. I'd actually like it if I didn't have to see her altogether.

I'll let things take care of themselves. I have a plan. 1) To go to the Druids. 2) Help them help Ban. 3) Get Elizabeth preggers.

This is my A-game right now. I'll be dammed if anyone gets in the way of it. And, if I saw Morgana's face _now_ , after all these years, I'd loose myself to the darkness for the last time. Then, no hope for anyone. "Hey now, if I could fix this in a snap, don't you think I would've done it already?"

"I—" King goes quiet, glaring at me suspiciously. He pipes up again, "She is _your_ daughter. A child is their parents' responsibility. I believe we should be informed of her magical abilities and weaknesses, so we can prevent things like _this_ from happening!" He exclaimed, presenting the door to his room, where Ban lay howling. He floats up, continuing, "We're under attack by _your_ daughter. _Your_ daughter is doing this! _Why_ is she doing this!? We're sitting ducks to this and you're useless! Why should anyone listen to you if you can't even put an end to your own child? _What's the_ _point_?"

Time stops.

Nothing happens. Everything freezes. The tavern becomes grave-quiet. Not a single cricket chirps. Even Ban's passed out cold in the next room. All but mine's breath is held.

King suddenly goes ghostly pale. He drops to the ground with a loud thump, the floor creaking as he turns his floating-magic off. He knew he had overstepped an unspoken line. The auburn-haired boy stands in front of me, mouth agape, looking stricken and terrified of himself.

Diane, Hawk, and Gowther had heard him. They stopped making noise downstairs. Gowther was even odded out by the boy's outburst.

We all knew what King was implying. ' _Your_ _daughter_ '. _My_ responsibility. _My_ mistake. _My_ problem. It's _my_ fault.

That's what he meant to say. We all knew. Even Gowther knew. But what upset everyone was the unreasonable hissy fit of the fairy king. And, his misbehavior towards me. His captain. His comrades' captain.

No one says anything still. The other three have made their way to the foot of the stairs, and looked up at King with disappointed eyes. Gowther looks back and forth from King and me. He breaks the deafening silence with, "Something is wrong, here."

"No shit, Gowther," Diane cried in response. Hawk nodded beside her, frowning and tisking his head at the fairy. The Serpent Sin shook her head at Kind, hinting, ' _Not cool, King. Not cool at all._ '

I shake my head. King wasn't lying when he implied that this is my fault. But his behavior was disturbing, not only concerning.

 ** _'This is_** **exactly** ** _what Morgana wants_**. **_She wants to separate us. Attack us while we are weak_** ,' growled a horribly _thrilled_ voice in my head. I flinch, surprised at how close it sounded, also surprised at how clear it was. With a glance at the others, I see that it's in my own head. My darkness was getting out of hand.

Great. Another resolve, another protective wall, of mine is coming undone. My crew is crumbling.

The predator lurking beneath my skin grows wilder.

"Go to bed, King. Get some sleep,"

King bolts from the tavern, pale and confused. I don't think even he understood his actions. Being so sudden, he acted on instinct. With a new worry over Elizabeth, their unofficial stress-reliever was put on suspension. That must be why… I walk downstairs to meet the others.

Gowther comes up to me immediately. "We are now three strong, Captain—"

"Four!" shouts Hawk.

"Five if we wish to include Princess Elizabeth. What is your command now?"

I stare at Gowther, then back to Hawk. Diane is silent, her face downcast. I pat her head, reassure her King'll be fine, and look toward Hawk. "What happened in the forest?" I ask him. The pig puffs.

"I dunno, man! One minute, me and Ban are walking in the woods, the next, I'm being man-handled like I'm a no-good piglet!"

"I don't understand, Pig. Why would the perpetrator handle you like a human, if you're a young pig?"

" _Oink_! Dude, you _really_ need to read the room!"

"Will you guys shut up already!? King's gone— shouldn't we go looking for him? M-morgana could still be out there! What if he's hurt?! Oh, King left Chastifol here!" After Diane's fuss, I turn back and go to my own room. My job was done. Morgana did indeed approach Ban and Hawk in the forest. For what reason, I didn't know. The sway of the Boar's Hat reassures me that we'll be at the Druids' soon.

* * *

Elizabeth was smoothing her long, silver hair out with an ivory brush. Her back was turned to the door, as she sat on her side of the bed in her nightie. As I close the door behind me, hands in pockets, she whips her head back to me in surprise.

"Oh. S-sir Meliodas, I did not hear you come in—" she pauses, and her neutral expression suddenly turns in one of bitterness. "How is Sir Ban? The others?"

"Fine as they'll ever be. King went kinda nuts a bit ago and ran off… Other's are fine, Elizabeth."

"I am glad… They are put through much more than I. I couldn't possibly imagine you and the Sins' hardships…"

Cocking my head, I breath, "Don't put yourself down, Elizabeth. We all got special jobs to do."

"Yes, but I can do more than just—" she stresses herself over in search of a word. "-just _this_ —"

"And what's ' _this_ '?" I ask, sitting down on my side. 'Our room is lightened by the candles she's set out beforehand. She turns her head away from me, fidgeting.

"It is nothing, Sir Meliodas—"

"Well, it's something, Elizabeth. Common, tell me, please?"

"I insist, you have no obligation to—"

"I have every obligation when it comes to you."

"Please, Sir Melio—"

"Elizabeth, I'm here for—"

"You—"

"I swore to you, didn't I? I want to protect you—"

"I swore to help you and the others in every way possible! E-even if it's just cleaning up—"

I mentally facepalm myself. Darkness chuckling in the backgrounds of my mind, I shake my head and force a smile. Yet, it turns into a natural one once I read the room. We both want what's best for the other. Even when we talk about our devotion for the other, we get too passionate that we starting fighting to see who's more loyal. I smirk and Elizabeth turns her face away from me again. The candle by my side of the bed flickers. Jolting in realization, I remember our earlier problem.

"Ah! That's right! You were just about to give me an answer, mhmm?"

"A-answer?"

"Yes! Aren't you gonna marry me?" I'm smiling like an idiot. This is the best thing that's happened all week. Elizabeth was here, with me, and despite her being stressed and our psychotic daughter on a bloody rampage, she was doing a mighty fine job of soothing my bristled hairs. Siting beside her like this, I could smell her feminine fragrance and the dew of the pond we kissed in. I could smell traces of me on her, even. That's what made me really happy!

Elizabeth's face flushed dramatically, and she turned to face me with shock. Her eyebrows rose, her hands flying to her chest as if that would protect her frantically beating heart. I can hear it from here- she's so nervous, it's rather cute. Yet her next question throws me off.

"… Are not you already married? To someone else?"

I blink, confused. Have I missed something? "Pardon?"

"I heard you, Meliodas." She just used my name without an honorific. That meant serious business.

My stomach flips. Bile rises to my throat. I'm surprisingly dizzy. My darkness throbs against my temples. What does she mean, she _heard_ me? Was she eavesdropping? If Elizabeth knew about my problems— No, no, she doesn't know, she can't know. I'd kill myself over if she did know. How does anyone handle news like ' _hey, just thought you should know, our evil daughter's come back from the grave. Don't know her? That's fine! We spawned her three thousand years ago_.' That crap does not slide into conversation easily.

"I heard what Sir King said… You... have a daughter?"

It was then I came undone.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter. I know. I just need to ask a question! Who's POV would you guys like to hear from besides Meliodas? Elizabeth will be making a major impact next chapter, but there has to be a second character as well. Who will it be? Ban? Merlin? King? Diane? Hawk? Morgana?

Comment and let me know! Toodles and good-day!


	7. Chapter 7: Ill Intentions

A/N: Hello. How are you?

I couldn't decide who's POV to write besides Elizabeth's, so I put the suggestions you guys gave me into a jar. Mixed the jar. And drew at random.

The winner is King!

We will return to Meliodas in the next chapter. (thank the goddesses)

I lied about having a part dedicated to Morgana. I wrote up a whole 10 page document in her POV, but it sounded so wrong and so confusing (like her mind, lol) that I just had to trash it.

So I wrote something more important that's dedicated to the plot. Yay... (not).

Who knows what the Questing Beast is?

Warning for chapter: Near Rape Experience - (IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN)

Yes, this story is now rated M. But no smex... not yet, at least.

* * *

A little girl sits by the yawning of a cave. Small and dark haired, she rocks back and forth against the rock formation. Keenly, she listens to the two women inside argue. It was difficult to hear them. She could only pick out pieces of their conversation. But, this wasn't an unusual thing… it had been happening for three straight days. Before that strange new lady came to stay, it had just been the little girl and her mother.

It was a rarity for her to meet, much less _see_ , another conscious being similar to her.

"—ssible to be done tomorrow—" the stranger woman insisted, sounding calm and reassuring. Unlike her perverse mother.

"—don't act… -an's blood … -than trying to sneak into Harlequin's domain." her mother responds, bitterly. The fragments of their voices echoed and disperse against the smooth stone walls.

"—rgan, this takes time—"

"Shut the hell up and wor—"

The little girl sighs. Tiredly, she shifts and recrosses her skinny arms. How long was it since her mother told her to wait outside? Surely not _too_ long… Poor girl, she could barely stand on her own too feet anymore. She had been so sick… She wanted to go back inside and get some sleep.

"Greetings, child." The little girl jerks her head up, expecting to see either her mother or the strange woman – _what was her name again_?- standing there. Instead, it was a beast.

"Don't be afraid of me, little one. I am but a dear old friend of your mother's." the beast says, its long slippery serpent tongue grazing the girl's cheek. She knew not to speak to strangers… much less seek them out… but this thing says it knows her mother. He had to be friendly, right? But, mother had never mentioned this creature before. The little girl was sure she'd remember such a being... Head and neck of a snake, body of a leopard, legs of a hart*… what was it?

"Trussst in me, my child. I cannot tell a fib—"

" _Get the fuck away from my daughter, Glatisant."_

Frightened, the girl steps back. Her mother, flushed with pure anger – _not an unusual expression nowadays_ \- comes rushing out of their cave with a look of pure hatred in her emerald eyes. She had seen her mother angry before, but, this look different. Her mother's eyes blazed with an unholy darkness, aura ready to explode.

Disturbed, the girl steps away with intent to please her only parent. The strange woman stands nearby, hovering with interesting hazel eyes. When she turned her gaze to the girl, she motions her into the cave. The little girl frowned, having wanted to stay and meet her mother's friend. Despite her unwillingness, the girl is ordered to go with the strange woman with a fierce spat from her mother. "Go with the mage, _now_!"

So far into the cave, the little girl couldn't hear her mother's and the beast's conversation.

"But, I want to listen to them…" she told the strange woman.

" _Tsk, tsk, tsk_! Such a curious child, you are. It killed the cat, you know~"

"B-But—"

"No buts! Say, why don't you help me with this potion—"

The girl was not a fool. She was sixteen… 4'10'' inches, mind you. Tricking the other raven-haired female into getting her some cough syrup was all too easy. She could slip away and hear a minute or two of mother's conversation with the beast. She had hidden the syrup under her cot. The strange woman would never find it! Giggling, the girl limps closer to the entrance of the cave, painfully dropping into a crouch to stay out of sight.

"-told you before. No. No. No. Fucking, **_no_**. I'd rather cut my own wings off then give her to you, you child-molesting _freak_."

"You seem to forget, my dear. Only I can heal the child. You and I both know this. No Druid will help her, and your pare—"

"Don't you think that dancing around those old bloody fools will tempt me into handing over my daughter, to you. I said before, Meliodas couldn't help me even if I came to him after Uther had his way with me. Me, myself, and I will help Mor—"

"And, my dear, what are you concocting with the Halfling? A cure, perhapsssss? "

"Stay out of my business, fuck turd. Or I _swear_ on my mother, and my mother's mother, that I'll _slay_ you on Camelot's stone!"

The beast coos at the little girl's mother's threat. "Hmm. Only that old, silly little sword of yours can hurt an Ancient One like me. Any weapon made by the firstborn prince of darkness itself is of worthy battle material. And, we both are aware, that your father wasted the last of that ability on Chastiefol. Hand the girl to me, dearie. I will take care of her—"

" _Go die in a hole_."

"A pity. Ssstill as nettlesome as ever, my adored little Morgan… I will be back by dusk tomorrow to take her. Resissst, dear, and I will end you with the Halfling."

The stranger woman suddenly grabs the little girl by the shoulders, yanking her out of focus. Yelping in shock, the girl barely understands what the other female has to say to her. "What might you be doing, hmm? Eavesdropping? I am not as daft as to let you slip away, my dear~" she held up the bottle of syrup. The girl shrinks back.

"I'm doin' n-nothing…"

"As I thought. Now, scurry back to your room before your Mummy comes back,"

"…Yes, Miss Merlin."

* * *

It was not that Elizabeth disliked the affection given by Sir Meliodas. Nor was it that she felt dirty from Sir Meliodas's heavy petting. Rather, the third Lyonesse princess was conflicted with a doomed case of puppy love. She had known from the beginning of her adventures with the Sin that she had let her heart stray too far. It was all so new to the young lady… She wasn't sure how to handle it, much less act upon it.

It had seemed, though, that her infatuation with the sin of wrath was developing into something much more complicated. Elizabeth had started having strange dreams as of late. Dreams of which she could not describe, sometimes being too detailed that it seemed more of a story than a phantom night-vision. They had affected her dreaming so much, that she began to loose sleep… But, that could not do! Elizabeth had an obligation to Sir Meliodas, and she planned to see it through! So, as best as the girl could, she became the princess and the pea. A princess who happened to be mute when it came to her problems, and the pea was night terrors.

She only hoped that Sir Meliodas wouldn't notice the way she dozed off during every minute they weren't together. But, she didn't need to worry much because the man started to act… odd.

When Sir Meliodas began acting strange, Elizabeth had already noticed something was wrong. Lady Merlin had said something in passing a good week or two before, and it had the girl questioning. " _I'd better get rid of it before dear ole Captain finds out…_ " Something along those lines. What had Merlin meant? What did she need to rid herself of? When Elizabeth asked the mage, she had denied ever saying it.

Elizabeth had forgotten about that until now. Now, it seamed, whatever 'it' was, had failed to have been removed.

 _"She is your daughter… why should anyone listen to you if you can't even put an end to your own child?"_

She did not know Sir Meliodas had a… child. Elizabeth felt guilt for thinking ' _who's the mother?_ ' first. Maybe it even was a little selfish. But, if this was true, her eavesdropping had done good. Meliodas shouldn't marry her if he already has a family… She felt dizzy, crushed to the earth, disappointed and lost all at once. Why had he proposed to her, then? Was it just to make Elizabeth feel better, and he had pitied her and her silly emotions?

Many questions ran through Elizabeth's mind, yet the princess could barely focus on one. She was hurt, emotionally, and she felt shameful for it. Sir Meliodas deserved a girl like Liz… someone worthy to fight with him on the battlefields. Elizabeth could barely do anything else other then heal people— not that she was complaining! Additionally, she was also exhausted from lack of sleep. Either she was kept up by nightmares, or was wide away with worry for Sir Meliodas and the others. It was making her ill. She had already been sick several times. Today would make it a full week.

However, Elizabeth has another problem. A different problem. One involving Sir Meliodas, that doesn't relate to marriage or ailments.

Meliodas sat on the other side of their bed, hunched and face down-cast. He rested there for a long time, not speaking, not even moving. He just stared. He stared right at Elizabeth.

Did not even _blink_.

"S-sir Meliodas?" she asked, cautious. Had she overstepped a line? Oh, that must have been the case… She knew she shouldn't have asked him anything.

"Elizabeth."

"Yes?"

"Elizabeth…" he says again, shifting. His golden blonde hair falls over vibrant emerald eyes. He was poker-faced more than normal. Meliodas, turning his body towards her, began to make a low humming sound in his throat. _He's mad at me…_ The princess was given no time to react to her close friend's behavior, thought.

In an instant, Elizabeth found herself being pinned to the bed. Meliodas had jumped her, pulling her close via her shoulders, and pushed her down onto the fresh, blood-free covers. With as much strength as a brick wall, he pressed against her chest while growling like a rabid animal. His eyes glowed black and purple, and the demonic symbol on his forehead dances and swirled against his sweaty skin. Meliodas smelled of deep, moist earth and male-musk… and something rotting.

" _E-Elizabeth_ ," the Sin groaned, his titanium grip on the princess's shoulders moving down to her waist. Elizabeth had no idea what had gotten into the captain of the Sins, but she felt no need to worry for her wellbeing. She was more worried for Meliodas. Yet, as she struggles under his grasp, squealing out in panic, she hopes someone would hear her distress and come help. Fear trickled down Elizabeth's spine, making her hot and jumpy, eager to leave the situation altogether. Despite her frozen body and thoughtless mind, she wanted nothing more than to help him. Meliodas, however, seemed to not care of her interest. " **Mine** ," he growled, voice strained and dark. Shadows danced across his face, the candle's burning bright orange.

"P-p- _please,_ S-s-s-si- Meliod— _as_!" Elizabeth yelped as the man suddenly bucked against her, his hands fisting themselves into her nightgown. The blonde demon over her was all but trying to mold himself to her, groaning from his chest and fidgeting like an exited dog. He barked and snapped at her flushed ears, making low clicks with his throat and dragging his tongue across her face. The smell of ale and sick tainted his breath. He whispered words she couldn't understand. Meliodas mumbled a praise of sorts, causing Elizabeth to wonder what his intentions with her were. Most likely, it was something similar to what happened at the lake.

She wasn't stupid… she knew that Meliodas treated her different than everyone else. The way he groped her, squeezed her, said things to her— all of them made the princess feel jittery, and it lit her face up with joy and confusion. Attention from him _is_ nice, but what made Elizabeth the happiest was when Meliodas was happy.

He seemed pretty happy when he did those perverted things to her.

So, in turn, Elizabeth was happy.

But now Meliodas lay across her body, bucking his pelvis into her hip, his once gentle green eyes now burned vantablack death and dark-purple poison, with his mouth agape to grunt and bleat in her ear. He was not so kind, now. He looked so… dead in the face. Not a single emotion did he bare, no smile nor frown. Just… blank. Yet, how was it that Meliodas could act so _feral_?

His hands grip the buttons on her gown, desperate and eager, and Meliodas tugs with as much enthusiasm as he uses when carrying out a mission. Teeth grazed the soft skin beneath her chin, and she can't help but cry out, as her nightwear is all but ripped open. Cold air pierces her heaving, pale flesh, making her gasp in surprise. Her chest and stomach is exposed. The possessed Meliodas growls out against her neck. Teeth nipping, he moved down her body at an agonizingly, calculatingly _slow_ pace. He bites down onto the supple skin between her breasts. Pain bloomed on Elizabeth's chest, making her cry out again, praying that whatever thing taking hold of Meliodas would stop. Prayed that he would soon come to his senses. " _P-p-please, sto-p, Mel_ —"

"Mhmm, mhmm, Elizzzzzzabethhhh, mhmmmm—," Meliodas panted, ignoring her supplication. He ruts on her kicking thigh, saddling her, his drool gleaming in the candlelight. His calloused hands, once so gentle and warm, now felt scorching hot and ungentle.

"Stop, goddess, _Meliodas, stop_ — Someone, please, help—!" His mouth slammed against hers. Cut off from voicing help, from a Sin or otherwise, Elizabeth thrummed against his lips. She tried so hard to pull back from the demonic Sin, yet it was all in vain. He kisses her with no love, only pure lust and the need to mate. Elizabeth's cheeks were red and damp with tears, and her body held down by pure, unholy force. The fire of the candles flicker as a wave of Meliodas's aura grows and cackles.

Meliodas's plans with her were not safe. They were not loving, obliging, well meaning, gentle—

Rather, Elizabeth now sees with absolute certainty, his intentions were anything _but_ good. And she, under every means necessary, had to get away. As quickly as possible.

She thrashes against him harder, managing to rip her mouth off of his. Elizabeth hissed at him, yelling out desperately for someone, _anyone,_ to hear her. This thing on her was not Meliodas— at least, not anymore. The baby-faced demon chirped, wide-eyed and mouth agape like a curious child, yet his aura throbbed and spiked angrily in the room. Meliodas's markings danced and braced, snapping and cracking against visible skin. He tilts his head, staring blankly at her as they lay chest-to-chest. His grip on her waist tightens for a moment.

"Stop it, Sir Meliodas! This isn't you!" she reprimanded sharply, squirming and kicking as roughly as she could. Anything if it meant to get out of Meliodas's grip.

The demon shook his head fervently, expression still unchanging. He turns and bobs his head from side to side, just how a snake would hypnotize its pray. Even though he refused to stop, he shifted down her body till he was hugging her waist. The ruffled dress shirt Meliodas wore was stained with heat-induced wrinkles.

"Please, _Sir_ —" Meliodas childishly shakes his head, again, and presses his face into her stomach. He nibbles the elastic of her underwear. Elizabeth panics more.

" _Stop it!_ " Her pleas ignored, she watches with confusion and fear as the man, who she trusted above all others, strips her of modesty. White, pink-laced panties dangle between his supple lips, as he tugs and rips them off her wildly kicking legs. Every hit she tries to give him are easily stopped, or non-effective.

Elizabeth began to feel very, very hopeless.

Meliodas grabs both her ankles, halting her from flailing anymore. Pulling both long, pale limbs aside, he exposes her yet again, for all reasons terrible and nonconsensual.

Sobbing, pleading, writhing, Elizabeth shuts her eyes and prays to every deity that this will be over fast, and that Meliodas be gentle.

But, Meliodas stops.

Violently shaking, the princess peaks open a fearful eye to see what the demon was doing. Meliodas, kneeling between her legs, sat staring at her with his eyebrows together, mouth pouted and his face muscles stained. Wetness formed in the whites of his eyes.

Whites of his eyes… his eyes were green once more.

Elizabeth, seeing the markings quelled for the time being, sobs out and tugs her ankles from his slack grip, hastily pulling herself together. To take back her dignity, her modesty. Meliodas, on the other hand, backed away from her as if Elizabeth was death itself. The Sin of Wrath fell to the ground with an audible bang. The rugs are shown no mercy as he kicks himself against the wall, staring up at her in disbelief, horrored consternation. His shivering hands rose up in surrender, his eyes wide and shell shocked. The temperature of the room drops dramatically.

"E-Elizabeth… I'm so _, so sor_ —" his apology, while sounding awfully sincere and depressed, only made the silverette whine louder. She gathered her tattered gown over her chest, pulling her undergarments back on with a new kind of meaningless that she had never possessed before. Meliodas stares in shock, cursing words in demonic tongue like a chant. He looked pissed at himself. More so. Vivid with wrath.

"I—" Meliodas is yet again cut off. This time, by his own self. Unwarningly, Meliodas abruptly yells out, harshly throwing himself down onto the ground. Thrashing against some invisible force, he brawled and bawled against the floor like a bear cub caught in a trap. Stuggling to hold onto the last shred of his sane mind.

"S-sir Meliodas—" the princess sees him striving, and leaps off the bed to assist—

how, she did not know. Yes, Elizabeth was wounded from what had just occurred, but emotionally and spiritually so. She would always be scared from this, she knew, but keeping in mind that whatever thing had come over the captain was _not_ Meliodas.

" _ **Elizabeth**_ ," he growls out, savage and wild. Meliodas jerks his gaze up to the princess, staring hard. His hair mushed and messy, his eyes wide and aggressive… The markings had returned, but his eyes glowed with a passionative pain that Elizabeth had never seen before. But, what he says next makes Elizabeth's heart drop into her stomach, and her stomach rise into her throat. " _ **Run if you love me**_ ** _._** "

And run she did.

* * *

"I'm sorry I ran off…" King, blushing with shame, says as he claws the back of his neck. His fingers are shaky, and red forms on the place he scratches, with dead skin quickly collecting under his nails. He sat by Ban's bed, looking down into his lap.

Diane had ran after him, knocked him around, maybe even kissed his cheek, and essentially got some since into him. He felt like an idiot for doing something so stupid… What on earth had gone over him? He knew it wasn't the Captain's fault for Morgana's reasoning. Then, he ponders, why had he acted like that in the Boar Hat? It was as if he was under a spell…

When the Captain and the Princess left, King and Diane had a quiet dinner with Gowther. When the pinkette left for the bar, he and Diane just layed about and talked for what seemed like a lifetime. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

The dream he experienced, though, was startling.

"—I'll name her… Elaine!" someone shouts. Is that the Captain? In the depth of his dream. King found himself at the life-tree of his forest, happy and shocked to see all his loved ones. But, why was Captain here? And is that… King and his sister? He, a smaller he, was clinging to the blonde man-child's leg, looking pale and chubby with youth. Sucking is thumb. A fair-haired baby girl lay in Captain's arms, sleeping and but a newborn. King found it to be a happy dream- why, he wasn't sure- but that changes once he sees a face in the crowed he knows he shouldn't be seeing. "Why are you here?" he asked the figment. The girl, blonde and green-eyed like Captain, glares with so much hate at his sister and the Captain that King balks in shock. Why was this woman unhappy? This is a happy day—!

The dream grew dark. King woke up. Shaking himself back to the present, he turns his attention to the better Ban.

"'tiss fine…" Ban grumbles, sipping water from a bright-pink mug.

The fairy and the giant had returned not an hour later. Both's jaw dropped once they saw Gowther standing over a stunned, black-swirled Captain upon their arrival. The man-child was withering on the ground, growling like a possessed animal in a language not even King Harlequin knew. He only knew that it didn't mean anything positive, judging by the black and purple swirls dancing on the Captain's body.

King began to feel guiltier by the second.

"This is all my fault…"

"Shut yer' damn mouth, King," Ban spat, clenching his mug so hard it cracked. A Druid nurse working beside them mumbled in disapproval. "Cap'n is his own man. And so are we. His bitch of a daughter is a no good, whore fu—"

"What did she do to you?" King suddenly asks, looking up. Ban lay on one of the many sick-cots of the Druid dwelling. They had been lucky as to make it to Istar on time. This 'plague' was not so little news after all. The Druids were not hesitant to take them in. They sequestered their Captain, much to their displease. Yet, whatever had possessed Meliodas, wasn't their Captain.

"She—" Ban growls. "She told me—"

"Told you _what_ , Ban?"

"She sent the demon that killed Elaine."

King's stomach flips. He struggles to keep down the raising bile in his throat. Neither of them speak.

"What!?"

"I look like I'm lyin', fairy boy? She even proved it, the bitch, showed me the cup. She has the bloody fucking fountain cup, King—"

"W-we got to get it back, then!"

"After I slice her throat open!"

"We should plan our mode of attack at a different time," Gowther, coming into the Druids' healing hall with a ticked-off Hawk, says. "Sir Pig and I have learned fascinating news."

"Yeah! You're not goin' to believe us, but Morgan—"

"Mention that whore's name again, Master, and I'll have you on the table tonight."

Gulping, a frightened Hawk continues, "Meliodas's daughter went to a Druid home in Cambria, but she got turned away by them! Apparently, she's some famous priestess who ruled over Cambria a couple thousand years ago, and the Druids have some bad rap with her. But, when the Druids in Hibernia turned her away, too, she went _nuts_! I heard she wants revenge on the Druids, because they can't heal some disease, so now she's spreading it to everyone—"

"It is not that we can't curse it," butts in a voice. The three Sins plus the pig look up as two small framed girls walk into the room. Zaneri and Jenna stood at the entrance, looking at them with frowns. The darker haired Druid crosses her arms and looks directly at Ban. "Morgan le Fay has nothing to do with this, but she insists that she does. It is because of her that this plague has started."

"Why? Why should Morgan want a plague? Is this a plan of reven—" The fairy king starts. Why Morgana wanted to attack them seemed to be solely related to the Captain. However, it seems to be something other. King had not known Meliodas had a child, much less a family. He was always so secretive about his personal life, outside of the Sins. Even Hawk didn't know anything about the man-child besides the Boar Hat. Whoever Morgan le Fay was, she must be someone very powerful. The Druids even seem to know her. King had heard the name 'Morgan le Fay' once or twice, but didn't know anything other than her being a priestess. Now, he adds together, Morgana _was_ Morgan le Fay. It seems as though the Druids are unaware of this woman's relation to Meliodas.

King felt more uncomfortable with the fact that Meliodas's daughter wanted to send them all to war.

"Partially. According to our people in Cambria, she came to them in hopes they would heal her child—" _Child?_ King hears. _If Morgana has a child… then Captain is a grandfath_ — "but, naturally, we couldn't do anything." _Wait… huh? Why not?_

Jenna nods sadly, patting her arms in contemplation. "We cannot let her child live."

"How come? Has this child done something wrong?" Gowther asks, tilting his head to the side while looking at both Druids curiously. Zaneri glares.

"No. Not yet, at least. She's spreading the plague so that we would have no choice but to cure it. But we _must_ keep this top secret… Morgan le Fay's child is destined to bring Britannia to its knees."

* * *

Elizabeth stumbled into the clearing, panting and dishevel. Clutching her tattered gown to her heaving chest, she pauses at a tree to catch her breath.

Her legs were scratched and bloody. Her feet blistered, cut, and pricked with thorns. She had been running all night.

Dawn had peaked over the rocky mountains that dotted the valley, and fresh golden light shone in through the pines. The new day was chorused by blue and red birds, who sung soft melodies that comforted the worn princess. Damp was the morning, but Elizabeth relished the feel of sweet grass under her injured feet. She took a deep sigh and brushed back some matted, silver hair behind an ear. Best if she, Elizabeth thought seriously, take a look around to see if anyone had followed her.

No… but…

She had no idea where she was.

"Sir Meliodas and the others will not be happy with me…"

On the bright side, she managed to get away from the possessed Meliodas. Gowther, luckily, had been downstairs when she came barreling out of her and Meliodas's room. The pinkette had no look surprise when Elizabeth ran to him, pleading him to help his captain. The Sin of Lust was not hesitant in helping her, or his captain, but seemed unwilling to shoot the man with his bow. The attack stunned the demon long enough for Elizabeth to flee.

She did not want to leave Meliodas, yet his order sounded so sinister… Elizabeth knew consequences would be high if she had stayed. When Meliodas took back control of his body, even though it was a short while, it was obvious he had no intention of defiling the silverette. Pained, even, to realize he was about to do it.

Elizabeth would not let that look cross her beloved's face again, she be damned or not. So, as hard as it was, she listened to Meliodas.

Unfortunately, she had no idea how to get back. Or when she would get back.

"Mmm, silly me. They're holy knights, they can do nearly anything."

With new found determination, Elizabeth continued walking down the valley. Finding water seemed like a logical next-step.

 _The Goddesses have answered my prayers_ , she thought with a smile after several minutes of traveling went by. A creek was soon met with her, and she all but collapsed by the flowing waters. Carful not to drink right away, she tears off some of her gown and uses it as a cup of sorts to draw her own water. Using it as a filter, she brings it to her mouth and drains it through the pink cloth.

Now would not be a good time to get sick.

When the blue and orange eyed girl had her fill of fluid, she gets up with a thankful sigh. Now, she decides, would be good time to find either shelter or food. Possibly even another person. Before she starts walking again, though, she uses the torn cloth-filter as a bandage for a foot, and tears off another to do the same with the other.

Prepared to go, Elizabeth starts down the river. Despite looking as if she was a pauper, her spirits were high as the heavens. If she had to be away from the Sins, the least she could do was look after herself!

"I can show them that I am not all useless," she laughs sadly.

But something makes her stop walking. Rather abruptly.

Gasping, she flings herself down to the body that suddenly lay before her. A girl, no less than eleven, she deduced, was passed out cold among the rocks that rest by the creek. Her raven-black hair was matted against her pale freckled face, shaping a sickly face. Black veins ran down her neck and legs. _This ailment looks just like Ban's_ —

"Oh, Goddess, are you alright?!" she cried, cradling the child's head into her lap. She brushed a strand of dirty hair away, desperate to see the face of this tiny person. The girl was thin, with twiggy legs that looked no fatter than bones. A worn pair of cargo shorts hung at her jutted hips, held on by an old belt. Her top was nothing more than an oversized man's sleep shirt.

Elizabeth was byhond ready to call forth her Apostile magic, but when the child suddenly jerked in her gripped Elizabeth paused.

Bright, vibrant green eyes looked back at her.

 _I know those eyes_.

Was this Meliodas's daughter…?

"Mama—"

"Shh, shh, little one. What happened? Are you hurt anywhere? Where is your mother?" she soothed, petting the child's unkept hair back. The child, however, seemed to want nothing to do with the princess. With dirty fingernails and sweaty palms, the smaller one tried pushing Elizabeth away with no more strength than a dead mouse.

"N-noo—"

"It's alright, little one, I will not harm you. I promise by the Goddesses."

For some alien reason, the girl began to wail when Elizabeth mentioned 'goddesses'.

"Oh dear," usually, promising by the Goddesses seemed to calm someone down. Elizabeth reaches into the creek and runs some water on the child's face. She frowned deeply when she felt the child's feverish skin.

"P-ple-ze- do-n't—"

"I swear on my life that I will not harm you." she promises again, speaking as softly as the finest of velvet.

This got the little girl to calm down.

"Alright… do you live close by?"

The girl nods, and turns her head meekly down the creek. "I-I tried w-walking—"

"You do not have to explain right now, little one. Just tell me where to go and I will take you there," Elizabeth cooed, her motherly instincts soaring to highs that she never even knew could be reached. She hoisted the girl up into her adrenalin-pumped arms, unsurprised at how light she was, and began to make her way down the creek. The girl spoke not once, only rested her face against the princess's shoulder, sobbing as painful waves of whatever ailment she had racked her tiny body.

The little girl cared the smell of something... rotting. Unholy, even. This was not an unusual smell for a very-sick person, correct? Yet it makes Elizabeth's stomach clench in discomfort. How sick was this child? It seemed to be a miracle that she was even alive. The princess was very temped to just use her powers here and now on the child, but she wanted the child to be comfortable, at least. Elizabeth, however, as she walked further, felt like something was terribly amiss. _Maybe I should turn back… Should I leave the child? Wait, w-what? Heavens no!_ Elizabeth bashed the last thought out of her mind, tsking at herself for even thinking that. She couldn't just—just _drop_ the child and run off! Yet, she could not help the feeling of dread creeping up her neck with every passing second.

"What is your name, little one? I am Elizabeth."

"I'm- I'm- Mor— Mordred. I'm Mordred."

* * *

A/N: AND NOW WE HAVE EXPLANATIONS! MEWHAHAHA *cough*

If u don't already know, i love the whole gender-bender thing with Merlin. So I'm doing it with Mordred, too.

More to come. Stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 8: Gambled Memories

A/N: Hi. Long time no read, huh? School's a witch, as per usual.

I dedicate this story to Added-OC, who dared to read this story and mention it in her own work! It means a tun, hun! 3 And also to Ru-Ru, my four-legged, long-tailed, furry-purry-friend who refuses to leave me along for a second.

Forgive me for my typoes, as always. I suck at edits.

Warnings for Chapter: Rape, Violence, Profanity, and Meliodas being an overall pervert. It's M now, guys. For some reason, I feel like it gives me the say so to make things horrible.

This is not how my mother raised me.

* * *

Cambria: Latin term for Wales.

* * *

Elizabeth walks through the valley of death.

Several different types of creatures immerse themselves in the worst of cardinal sin. Here, the princess could count seven different beasts. Each beast, Elizabeth realizes, is doing something very different… yet also very similar. All of the beasts did something selfish, none of whom were concerned with the other's wellbeing or needs. The bear was lethargic, only standing by the waters to wait for fish, not even lifting a single claw to help itself. The goat was bleating and prancing, rutting its hindquarters and body against anything it could get. The snake was slithering in the grass, hissing at the other animals and striking forward to take what it had. The fox was steeling money, and yipped as it lathered itself in gold and power. The bore was eating, snorting and grunting as it chomped on grass and grubs, but showed no sign of stopping or slowing down. The lion walked along the valley, chest out and head held high, arrogant in stance and praising itself for everything it did. The dragon roared and screamed, raging blistering fires upon the land and destroying everything in its path.

First beast she approaches is the bear. It barely moves even when Elizabeth places her gentle hand over its head. "Why do you act so, Sir Grizzly?"

"I am hebetude. I am sloth," says the bear.

Next, Elizabeth goes to the goat. She places her kind hand upon one of its great horns, but the goat slides up against her rhythmically. She asks, "Why do you act so, Sir Goat?"

"I am desire. I am lust," says the goat.

Thirdly, Elizabeth goes to the snake. She kneels as she approaches it. The snake vied for her possessions. "Why do you act so, Lady Snake?"

"I am jealousy. I am envy," says the snake.

Fourthly, Elizabeth goes to the fox. She tries to walk upon its pile of gold, but it growled and barked as she attempted to even touch it. "Why do you act so, Sir Fox?"

"I am avarice. I am greed," says the fox.

Fifthly, Elizabeth goes to the boar. Happy was she for it was a favorite animal of hers, but it showed no interest in her back. It just ate and ate and ate and— "Why do you act so, Lady Boar?"

"I am insatiable. I am gluttony," says the boar.

Sixthly, Elizabeth goes to the lion. She pets its mane, and the lion tossed its head back gloriously. "Why do you act so, Sir Lion?"

"I am conceit. I am pride," says the lion.

Finally, Elizabeth goes to the dragon. It paid her no mind, and nearly burns the princess up into flames. "Why do you act so, Sir Dragon?"

"I am fury! I am anger! I am wrath!" roars the dragon.

"Why?"

"Those who have hurt the one I love must pay."

"Shan't the one you love be more hurt by your blind vengefulness?"

"No," said the dragon, "The one who must pay is beloved."

"How so?"

"Thy own reflection is thy child. Thy sins shall be thy child's sin. Tis' but a double-edged sword."

Elizabeth went her way, believing that she had spoken to all of the creatures. However, she spies one last animal that she had missed!

She goes to the eighth beast, a golden-white raven lying in a nest made of ash. It does nothing, even as Elizabeth approached it. "Why do you act so, Lady Raven?"

"I am nothing," says the raven.

"Surely, Lady Raven, something can't be nothing?"

"Nay, I am but wretchedness. I am disheartenment, discouragement, melancholy, distress, and misery. Take no heed to I, for I am but desolate memory. Remember this, milady: Something starts at nothing, yet nothing shall come from something. There so, methinks, thee must awaketh. Sun be high, milady, least thee leave me to my sorrow, and thee own devices of selfishness."

The raven then arose from its nest, wings broken and bleeding, and presented what it had been resting upon.

It's a dead fledgling. Its body infested with maggots and rotten pus, black blood oozing from every orifice. Prominent, painful veins pulsated from its tiny body. The horrid bird carcass suddenly lifted its head and looked at Elizabeth dead in the eye. It opens its mouth, and fog of absolute death poured out. The unholy cloud of blackness swirled and poured over the nest of ash, and it smothered Elizabeth into the ground, scorched by the wrath-blinded dragon. It flows into the princess's mouth and into her eyes, blanketing her in a world of dark suffering. The ravens cawed in a terrifyingly ominous, baleful way. " **Selfishness begets despair, and despair begets all sin! Thy children shall carry thy progenitors' sins! Remember!** "

Then, Elizabeth wakes up with a start. Clawing at the air, struggling to get hold of something, of anything, so she can prove to herself that she was indeed still alive. Something slips from the confines of her mouth, drags across her lower lip, and pulls away with the same surprise Elizabeth had. Upon opening her eyes, she finds not blackness, but Meliodas. Meliodas looks down at her with his eyebrows pinched together, and a tight frown on his lips. "Bad dream?"

"I— yes."

* * *

If I had a coin for every time I got angry, I'd be the world's worst gambler.

Fighting is like a game of cat and mouse. It involves one dumb creature against one little ol' me. Usually, I'm just holding onto my opponent's tail while letting them run around, letting them think they have the upper hand. Then I'll tug that tail of theirs and watch as they realize I've had the advantage the whole time. Then I'll let them go, and they'll swear to defeat me someday and blah blah blah. Same old, same old.

The gamble comes in when I loose my shtick. When this shtick of mine is lost, I have none of that well-disciplined control. Then it's all about who can survive my inner demon. I've never been good at gambling.

"Hey Cap'n."

Ban was better, but not by much. The Druids had done a fine job at nursing us back to health. King had gotten his own shtick together, too, and was rekindling the relationship between us. Not that I was flipped with the fairy king per se, but I was please overall that his behavior had improved. However, I knew that he knew I could tell something was off with him. The auburn haired ruler didn't bother coming to me privately to talk, though. Things were different with Ban as well.

"S'up, Ban." I say, tugging my belt strap through the loop. The man standing at my door shuffled uncomfortably, grunting. From here, I could smell the infection his body fought to keep off. Smelt like a carcass.

"Anything on Ellie yet?"

"…No. I'm going out to find her—"

"Oh no you don't! Remember what the Druid chicks told—"

"Ban," I say, ephasising my seriousness. "Elizabeth is missing. I've been out for three days, and she hasn't come back yet."

Ban held my stare for several long seconds, before he grimaces in pain. The black veins that spiraled down his exposed skin gave him more reasons to be called Undead Ban. He looked so tired, and he'd been this way since I woke up just hours ago.

I'd gambled with fate for too long. I had put too much trust in my inner strength, and it proved futile. My darkness had prevailed yet again.

Hello self-disgust, my old friend. Can't seem to get rid of me? Typical, you!

Once again I have hurt Elizabeth. I distinctly remember what I did just three days ago, quite manifestly. How I just… completely gave into my darkness, and let it wash over me like a shower of guilty pleasure. So much relief was felt once my carefully built walls came crumbling down. It buried six foot deep under its title wave of destruction, leaving me to pick up the pieces, one by one… This time, the destruction my demonic subconscious caused was not physical. This time, I felt as if I couldn't bear it for another second. Hurting Elizabeth… just makes me want to **_die_**.

I cannot put the abhorrence I'm feeling into words, but it's so great that it has become physical. I had bags under my eyes, despite three days worth of sleep. I'm hunched. I barely moved. I haven't eaten. I'm not talking. This grave depression rose into my throat and clutched my jugular in a vise-like grip. It tightened and tugged at my hearts every time I breathed in, reminding me of my curse. To breath is to live, to live be to breed luxury.

Why was I given this luxury called life? When I can't even properly love Elizabeth? Without Elizabeth in my life, I had nothing. Well, apparently there was still _Morgana_ —

She was the cause of all of this. She's going this on purpose, I realize with horror. Yes, I betted that she was after revenge of some sort, but I clearly had not taken it seriously enough. If anything, compared to the rage scalding the back of my throat right now, I took her intentions as a joke. In the end, it was I who was the joke.

I could take my chances and let my darkness run ramped, volunteerally allowing it out of its cage. I'd definitely find Morgana then. Put her bastardly deeds to an end, for once and for all. But I've gambled enough with that shit.

I'll just take Lostvayne and pierce it right through her hea—

But wait… I, I am more than simply disturbed to find that I felt _pity_ for Morgana. Obviously I disowned her at Elizabeth's first death, but… did I _really_ want to _kill_ Morgana? She's caused so much suffering… Caused the Holy War, now has a thing against _Druids_ of all things, and it's threatening to tear apart all of Britannia. Who says she should be given mercy? Much less forgiveness?

I needed to get my head on straight before I murder somebody.

Ban grumbled. Pulling myself back into the present, I rake my eyes over his sickly figure. According to the Druids, Ban would have been long dead by now if it weren't for his immortality. Makes sense. Too bad for my friend, because this Plague was trying to burn his insides into pus and rot. Poor Ban. He'll survive, though.

"I'm gonna go find Elizabeth." I say decidedly, upmost serious. Ban frowned from the archway of the door, before turning around with a sinister, pale smirk.

Before leaving, Ban adds, "Go on and get yer' girl, Cap'n. But I wanna ask for a favor, first."

"Mhmm."

"I want the honor of killing that shit-kid of yours."

 ** _I'm screaming_** **.**

Damnit Morgana. Still trying to ruin my life, huh sweetie?

* * *

By the time I had a small backpack thrown together, I was more than ready to leave. Zaneri and Jenna, head Druids, and a familiure tall male cornered me the minute I left the room reserved for me.

"Yo, Theo! You've gotten big!"

"Yep! I'm fifteen now, Master Meliodas!" Damn. Wasn't Theo just a squirt the other day? Gosh does this make me feel old!

Jenna was bubblier and more fluid in her behavior, while her darker-haired sister was sweetly spoken and shy. I noticed it immediately, especially in the way Zaneri moved. I haven't seen them since the Sins and I split up, so I had only professional memory of them. However, Zaneri treated me as if we long time friends. She took my hand in hers and said something along of the lines of "We finally meet again, Meliodas." I would have said a greeting of my own, but when she placed my hand over her heart, I stared blankly at her. With my inner demon on the rise, my senses were keen to the smallest of changes. When Zaneri's body temperature and heart rate rose at our contact, I pulled my hand away as bluntly as I could.

"Thank you and the Sins for coming so soon! We really didn't expect to be getting help this quick, though," Jenna commented, twirling her fingers together with a bright smile. Yet, I could see the sleepiness in her eyes. They must be up to their wits end in sick citizens. "You've come here to get Lostvayne back?"

Merlin took my sword when we dispersed ten years back. Not only that, but half of my power. She claimed to have stored my power in the sword _itself_ , and gave it to the Druids for safekeeping. I just nod seriously, crossing my arms. "I need it immediately."

"Tsk, tsk, Dragon Sin. You must prove yourself worthy firs—"

"No. I need it now. Princess Elizabeth is missing, and I ha—"

"Princess Elizabeth?" Jenna questioned, but not a lick of confusion was in her eyes. "Of Lyonesse? What happened to her?"

"She's traveling with me and the Sins. I… ran her off." I tilted my head down, but kept my eyesight level with the snow-haired Druid. Jenna gets my drift.

"Ah. Well, sorry buckaroo, we have standards. Until you can control that nasty little darkness of yours, we can't give you Lostvayne."

I grit my teeth, but force a boyish smile on my face. "Can you tell me the situation at hand?"

"Yes," Zaneri butted in. "Britannia is being thrown into a holocaust by the Cambrian priestess, Morgan le Fay."

"Mhmm… and who's she?"

The Druids went onto explain, taking deep breaths. A light wind carrying scents of magic and plague came by. "Morgan le Fay was, or in this case, still is, an extremely powerful prophetess and sorceress. We're not quite sure where she's from, but she abruptly appeared two thousand years ago. Morgan le Fay worked with two other priestesses, but because of her power, she became queen. Records show she reigned for nearly a thousand years before she was overthrown by Merlin, Boar's Sin of Gluttony."

I suck on my lower lip. Only thing I understood so far was that Merlin was quite the power-hungry piggy when she grew up. Zaneri continued. "Morgan reappeared again fifty three years ago in the city of Ravens. A tavern's dossier states that a woman similar to Morgan le Fay's description rented the bar out for twenty years before she 'abruptly departed'."

"And this relates too…?"

"Morgan le Fay is specifically mentioned in Uther Pendragon's criminal records, but with no fixed reason as to _why_. Sixteen years ago, she was discovered at the remains of… hehe, that city you and Liz lived in for a while," Jenna smiled knowingly.

My right eye twitched.

"Uther appointed her as his concubine, and had her branded with the Sin of Despair."

Wow. There's an eight Sin? But—

"She was not considered to be one of The Seven, if that was what you were thinking! Morgan le Fay was thought to have been killed, soon after she _murdered_ the late Pendragon. Merlin was said to have closed in at this time, and took a certain young prince Arthur to Sir Ector's home to be raised. Merlin was the one who, once again, overthrew Morgan le Fay, this time killing her. However…" _Why is there always a 'however'?_ "Those records were proven faulty." _Of course._ "She returned after ten years of idle indolence, back in Cambria. This time, she went to the Druids."

"Why would she see Druids if she's so powerful…?"

"Because, the only thing Morgan le Fay couldn't do was _physically_ heal someone. She was believed to have been an Apostle of the Goddesses, and _could_ heal people, but only _spiritually_. This went along the lines of restoring souls to the deceased, and helping people in times of grave depression. Just not… physical ailments."

"So, what'd she need healing?"

"Morgan le Fay had a child with Uther Pendragon. It most likely will die in the follow days to come."

I'm close to glaring at them now. If this didn't have anything to do with Morgana, then it had nothing to do with me. But, if Morgana's really the one behind this plague— No! Morgana couldn't have the mental capacity to be _priestess_. Heh, funny notion: _Morgana the Priestess_.

Zaneli placed her hand over mine again. Again, I pull away. "The child is sick… with a rare type of kidney disorder… Similar to what you've already seen." Jenna continued, and motioned toward the infirmary a little behond, where I could smell death as easily as pie out of an oven. "Morgan wanted us to heal her child. But we refuse to."

Her sister jumped in, "The child, Mordred, is destined to kill Arthur and bring Britannia to an end."

Okay. This makes a lot of sense. Sin of Despair, hopelessness, has a sick spawn of her own and won't take no for an answer. Went a little overboard. Still, this gave _me_ nothing to deal with. Do they think I'm here to put this Morgan lady in her place? Well, this case was important to me a few days ago… Still is, but I had to find Elizabeth before Morgana found her. Was it possible that I've been delusional this whole time, and only _thought_ Morgana was back from the dead? Is Morgan similar her?

No. I can't forget Elizabeth's _pregnancy hormones_. How else did she smell like an expecting mother if Morgana wasn't around?

"Tell me something…" I start. "What kind of connection does a reincarnated Druid mother have with her child?"

Jenna and Zaneri raise their eyebrows at this. "Connection? Well, sometimes it's experiences one or the other has been through, and it reflects in the other when close contact is made. Why do you ask, Captain Meliodas?" the white-haired sister asked.

"Just…" A very, _very_ bad feeling began to rise in my throat. I'm starting to think the worst. Have I really misjudged Morgana? For this long? "When did Morgan le Fay get to Britannia?"

"A week ago."

 _That's when all of this started happening_.

So, this means… uh-oh.

 ** _Dear father of mine in Hell_**. Morgana _was_ Morgan le Fay!

I never killed her, then…

This means I'm a grandfather! But it didn't seem like I would continue be, not for too much longer.

This also means I got to man-the-heck-up, and _fast_.

I reached out and grasped the nearest Druid I could get. Zaneri gasped as I roughly grabbed her arm, squeezing hard. It's not like me to hurt a woman. But… I feel… lost. My mask has been broken. I'm the one in despair, now. " **Give me back Lostvayne**. **_Now_**."

* * *

The smell of an oncoming war use to be my favorite thing. Now, it's a sticky feeling that brings up uncomfortable memories. The air tonight felt like an oncoming war. This one, in both body and mind.

Jenna, Zaneri, and Theo had to _physically_ _contain_ _me_ when I snapped, due to a sudden mental breakdown. Poor Theo was all but ready to surrender to my sudden harsh behavior. Yet, and thank the goddesses, the Druid sisters were more hardheaded. With persuasion, I bet I could've convinced Zaneri to give me my full power back, but I'd have to kill seven whole nations before Jenna would relent.

Zaneri was the one who wanted to do the 'test' on me, but Jenna and a few other Druids told her not too, because of ' _unprofessional infatuation_ '.

The white-haired Druid led me to the far reaches of Istar, to a special cave where tests were given. She sat me down at a small table with a series of objects laying on the surface.

The first object was a pen, the second a gold coin, the third a knife, and the forth a crown. "Now, Dragon Sin, put your hands on the table."

I did so, and she went behind a screen that blocked me from the outside. She came back soon after, protectively holding three squirming beings. The girl places them on the table.

It was a wolf pup, a dragon egg, and a human baby.

"Woah, who'd you steal this little guy from?" I asked with a laugh, reaching out to grab the young mortal before it tumbled off the table. The baby was at least a year old, bubbling spit between glistening red lips. His mop of red hair stood up comically, as did his unseasoned chubby cheeks. The baby reached out to grab my face. I sat him firmly in my lap, however, facing him forward toward Jenna like he was doing the test, too. I give my best ' _let's do this_ ' face.

"He's an orphan, sadly. His parents passed away this morning."

"That's too bad."

Jenna cornered the cub and held tight to the egg, making sure they didn't run off. "Out of all these things, what would you take?"

Hmmm…. "The knife."

"Why?"

"To fight off bad guys~!"

"Why didn't you say 'protect the baby?"

"Wah?"

"The baby. You think he's unqualified now that he's with you."

Wait, what? I looked down at the child in my lap, watching it play with Liz's sword handle. I more or less didn't even think he was apart of this, too. But why else bring him in?

"Interesting. Very interesting! You chose the baby without a second thought, and wanted the knife to fight off 'bad guys'. I'll assume that means any kind of danger. Concluding, you want to protect little Percival here from harm. That's a good sign, wanted to protect those weaker than you."

"Are you evaluating me, Jenna?"

"Yes. Elementary, sure, but necessary. Wish to explain your curious case of daddy-fever?"

"Do you _really_ wanna know?"

"You can bet your two lucky dimes on it, Captain Meliodas."

"Heh. Not one for gambling, myself. I'm just cranky cuz you guys won't let me go look for Elizabeth."

"Oh, don't get your undies in a knot, Captain. Mis. Diane has gone to look for her."

"Ah, alright then." Okay, that's one worry of mine gone. I'd trust Diane to find the princess.

"If you won't tell me now, I'll have to go fetch my dear sister for a **_deeper_** evaluation test."

"Deeper?"

Jenna smirked and tapped her temple, a sly smile on her face. "Mind's a delicate place, Captain Meliodas."

"Aw, alright, fine! Do your thing, Jenna. Quicker the better. I'd like to have a strong word with Morgana— I mean, Morgan, once I get Lostvayne."

Jenna gathered up baby Percival, the cub and egg, and objects, and then left with a twirl of white dress. She, unlike Zaneri, knew how to have fun. Cool.

Even though this situation had the whole of Britannia on the scales.

The Druid sisters, as well as three other helpers, came in via hustle and bustle. Theo was asked to stay by the door. At this point, my crewmembers (-Ban) knew something was about to go down. I heard Hawk's fussing from outside as clear as bells.

King, to my pleased surprise, actually flew in to see me. He looked miserable, sleepy and disheveled. He hugged Chastifol in a death grip. I'd say he was awkward. "…Captain?"

"Yeah?" I respond with as much loftiness as possible.

"Can I ask you something?" the fairy started, before floating upwards as a Druid jogged by. Level with me again, he continues with, "It's about Morgana…"

"Ah—" I start this time, but before Zaneri sticks a mouth guard between my pearly whites. I found it humorous. They knew I was a super powerful creature, so was this needed? I'd probably bite it to pieces if they submit me to darkness. "Ifh dis is 'bout Morphana, Eh know phe's Morpha meh Fer—"

"Um… wait, you do?!"

"Yeh—"

"King Harlequin, forgive my intrusion but you need to get going," Jenna interrupted. She walked into my line of vison with Zaneri by her side, both girls looking serious. How far were they going to go into my mind? "I suggest you and Sir Gowther go off to find Morgan le Fay. Slow her down. I've just gotten word she's rampaging close to Camelot."

 _What in the world are you trying to prove, Morg'? Giving your plague to innocents ain't gonna do much for Mordred._

"Right. Apologies," King says, before floating out with a quick zip.

"Now…" Jenna starts, giving some orders to the helpers. She then turns to me. "Meliodas. We're going to be picking around your most vital memories. In this test, you'll be proving your self-control. Because of what happened at Danafol, and what could have happened at Lyonesse, we cannot permit you to gain your full power unless we know you can keep it under wraps. Understand, Dragon Sin?"

"Thristle thler!" I add a thumb up.

"Perfect. Now, you'll just feel a slight pinch—" Jenna then pierced my temple with a beam of light, throwing my senses into a fury of colors. Mumbling through the mouth guard, my child-sized body seizes into the greatest amount of pain I've ever felt in a long time. At this point, I'm yelling, but it doesn't matter because the gentle embrace of darkness coats me with its blanket.

* * *

"DEMON!" the old woman screamed, tears and blood splattering her wrinkled face. The bleeding, sopping flesh between my teeth tasted divine. I ignore her. She's annoying.

The taste of revenge. What a glorious thing, indeed. I'd like to bottle it into ale, taste it anytime I'd like, just for my mouth only.

"You woke me up from my nap," I told them, some nameless village, which dare let some _brat_ came across my beauty sleep and me one sunny afternoon. Naturally, I showed them no mercy. Not like anyone would stop me, anyhow. Father never gave me a purpose other than to kill.

" _LET MY GRANDBABY GO, HEART-EATER_!" hollered the elderly woman again. I grit my teeth and bare my fangs, sinking my fingers into the soft lining of my pray's intestines. So warm. So wet. So supple. So good.

Spit glistening and blood flew, but nothing stopped even as the annoying old bitch beat against my back and pulled at my hair. She was so desperate; she was trying to use whatever life she had left in her to save the corpse below me. I'd laugh if I wasn't to busy fucking it.

" _Yum, yum,"_ I seethed gleefully. The bed bangs against the wall, paint chipping and wood snapping with each rhythmic thud and slap of flesh. I push my hands into once-virgin's stomach, pulling back skin and the muscle of her diaphragm. My wrists sink into the body's warmth, fingers squish against the quivering organs. I snap apart the spine and ribs. Expose the torso's insides, coated in crimson and tissue and sick and fat—

I grasp her fluttering heart with a crushing hold. It shined bright, deep red in the morning light that came in through the hut's window.

I wrench it out, ripping it from the chest cavity like pulling a juicy, succulent raspberry of a bush.

I leaned forward, groaned and bucking my hips between the torn, leaking remains of the girl's warmth.

I took a bite of the heart. Still warm, giving its last beat and gush of vital liquid. The taste of the unscarred heart tasted like everything I've ever desired. Meaty, sweet, fresh, hot, peppery, fleshy, perfect, spicy—

When the insane woman on my back became too much, I snapped her in two. I wouldn't touch her, though. Her heart wouldn't do. It was seasoned. I wanted my hearts **_raw_**. _Inexperienced. Untainted. New. Fresh_. **_VIRGIN._**

Mind clouded with bloodlust and senseless delicious rage, I went off to the other villagers, who lay in wait, their fear scents rolling off them like waves of a fine perfume. My stomach growled as the cry of another young girl echoed from the church. No one could stop me from taking what I wanted.

 ** _Yum, yum_**.

Ah, it felt good to be prince.

* * *

"Brother."

I look to my right.

Estarossa walked up next to me, clad in black; it was the traditional color of the Demon Clan. Wind ruffled our hair and ran through our clothes, making my collar flap wildly. I nod my head in acknowledgment, but keep my face forward.

I'm standing on our palace porch. My room, second-to-most-important room, was right at the tiptop. I could see the dark, dead valley that was our land.

Our clan was dying. That much everyone knew. The lands of Hell were once fruitful and provided for all its inhabitances. Whether it was because Ancient Ones lived here before us demons, no one was sure because Hell had been here since the dawn of time.

Father asked me to take over Britannia. Find new land. It was either this, or the extinction of the demon race.

I chose life.

"The remainder of the troops in Fraudrin's special tactics unit have returned," Estarossa spoke, standing beside me while placing his hands on the porch's edge. "They were successful."

"Good. That's very good. Any word on Deloris's group?"

"No, brother."

"Mm. Get me Gowther."

"Yes," Estarossa was my second-to-youngest sibling. While created a good hundred years after me, he still couldn't prove to be a stronger. "Oh, and brother?"

"What?"

"Zeldris… is at his antics, again."

A low, deep growl rippled through my throat and chest. Lord, help my youngest brother! I turn to Estarossa, and the smallest of smiles formed on his face, almost victoriously.

I had to treat my brothers very differently from the other. I didn't have to worry about this bastard before me. Zeldris, on the other hand…

"I caught him talking to that human girl again—"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Brother, I wouldn't lie to y—"

"No. I **refuse** to believe it!"

"Brother, I assure you, Zeldris—"

"He **_swore_** to me that he'd stopped seeing her!"

"…Then, he as lied to you, the future king of Hell."

I grit my fangs and pinch the skin between my eyes. Damnit. Zeldris was _still_ twitterpated with an _enemy_? When was he going to grow a pair of balls? I turned and grabbed my brother's shirt collar. I hissed in his face, "Bring him to me. _Now_."

As the eldest, I knew it was my duty to look after my younger siblings. Though, out of both my brothers, Zeldris disappointed me the most.

He wasn't created with as much magic as Estarossa or I was. When he crawled out of that male, stillborn giant's heart that played as a womb to him, the first thing he did was _hug_ me. Shit, Zeldris's first word was ' _daddy_ '.

How pathetic. Didn't he know that he'd get nowhere in this cold, godforsaken world if he acted like a pussy? Did he want the others to chew him up and spit him out?

To toughen him up, I once took him to a human village. I'd given him a blade and told him to kill at least _one_ of the mortals.

And what did he do? Went and picked a fucking flower for me. Oh, and he managed to become BFF with a _human girl_.

Zeldris would not survive in this world, _our_ world, if he were gentle. I have to physically beat this into his head. Daily.

"They'll take advantage of you, little brother," I'd say, as I would punch his face into a rock wall. "You need to hide your altruism." A series of kicks to his side.

"Hide it from who?" he whined, still young and meek, as he was throttled against the ground.

"Everyone. Let _no one_ see your inner self."

"How?"

"Be strong."

" _How!_?"

"…Just, stay by my side. And stop seeing that mortal friend of yours!"

In truth, I didn't want my youngest brother's personality to change.

Zeldris was… unique. He was breath of fresh air, unlike _some_ people. I glare at Estarossa from the corner of my eye.

I was fond of him. More fond of him than Estarossa: who I'd known longer. Estarossa knew this. While Zeldris strived to be _like me_ , Estarossa worked on _kissing my ass_. I've tried persuading Estarossa into joining the dungeons in collecting information from war prisoners, but he _insists_ on slogging around in my line of work. Gosh, Estarossa was so _fucking_ annoying. More so than Zeldris's saccharin!

But, even as I yelled at Zeldris daily, and routinely beat him into a pulp, I still had felt a flare of admiration in my chest when he gave me that hug on the day of his birth. Tall-And-Shit-For-Brains here didn't hug me…!

Not that I'd care or anything.

Estarossa was just the screw up of Father's creations. In my opinion, at least.

"Well, what are you standing here for!?" I snapped, glaring up at my brother, who was near _verbally demanding_ my attention. "Are you deaf as well as dumb?"

Estarossa shifted from foot to foot, before sighing tiredly. "I'll go bring Counselor Gowther, and our weak broth—"

" **No**."

"Mm?"

"I'll go get Zeldris myself," I say, ripping my dragon-boned sword from its sheath. If killing Zeldris's human friend was what it took to toughen him, then I'll personally do it myself. After all, who would do this act of kindness without blabber mouthing to the entire Demon Clan? Like fuck I'm letting Estarossa into Zeldris's and mine's business. Knowing him, he'd tell everyone till kingdom come! He'd enjoy doing it, to. Whatever it took to be mine and father's favorite.

Swinging my sword in the air, imagining what'd it be like to kill Zeldris's human friend, I add, "Do something useful for me that's besides siting in your room and doing nothing."

"…Yes, Brother Mine."

* * *

"General Meliodas."

I look up.

A powerful surge of wings and a flicker of dawning sunlight later, Elizabeth the Innocent appears before me in a flurry of white.

"Goddess... You came."

She eyed me through a curtain of snow-colored hair. Tentatively, she tucks a strand behind a flushed ear. I'm honestly surprised she showed up. If I had been her, I'd just up and ditch my sorry ass. Why did we agree to meet here again? Ahh yes, now I remember! I teased her in passing that I'd like to get her alone, and she had actually _accepted_ the offer. Unfortunately, she misread me, and took it as a business meeting. I could have ditched her, too. Now the question was why had _I_ come.

Why did I come?

"Yes… How are you, General?"

"I can't complain. You?"

"There have been better days."

We both fell into an awkward silence. Poker facing, I swing my arms back and forth while I frantically look for a catchy comeback.

Mount Virtue was a pretty cool mountain. I use to come here all the time when I was a rebellious teenager running from my responsibilities. You know, responsibilities of trying to take over the world and all. I stopped coming once I was appointed as General.

"Nice dress, goddess. New?"

Elizabeth, wide-eyed and living up to her title, looked down at her tunic and pulled at the fabric of its skirt. "No."

Damn. Were all goddesses this literal? Sadly, yes.

"Oh-kaaaay," I clicked my tongue, "So, wanted to speak with me about somethin', goddess?"

"Oh, right! Forgive my rudeness… I have not been in a demon's company for this long, before."

"Good."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Continue."

"Much appreciated, General. It _is_ rather winsome to meet such a… genteel demon." Elizabeth took a deep breath and jointed her hands together. "I have come to ask you for a favor."

" _Oh_?"

"I think… No, I know this is rather foolish of me. But, I have invited you here to ask something from you…"

" _Yes_ …? Sorry, kitten, can't read minds. My adviser can, though—"

"W— Really? How does he do that—? Oh, apologies, I was distracted… I-I am here to insist you hold off your troops at Londinium. Immediately."

I stare at her, void of expression. Who did she think she was? Just because I was drooling at the sight of her ass, didn't mean I'd be her sugar daddy. Blinking owlishly, I mumble through boyish lips, "Goddess, you've asked me for a pretty heavy favor, here. Why would I ever do that for an enemy?"

Elizabeth's wings rose behind her in a threatening manor. Her way of saying she was upset.

Goddesses were an all-female race who had no need to have sex because just kinda _appeared_ , and they looked completely harmless. Even warrior goddesses seemed cute. They all talked with respect to everyone and everything, but none of them seemed to have a sense of humor. Like Elizabeth here. Sexy as fuck, but dense as a rock.

"Because…" Elizabeth's wings curled at the ends, the light behind her peaking through the hairs of her many feathers. Puffing her chest out, she declares, "Because I know you fancy me."

I blink. I giggle. I laugh. I full-out have an asthma attack from how much laugh. Was this gal cute or what! She thought I'd do her a favor, that'd benefit her in the war, just because I _fancied_ her? Oh, was she in for a rude awakening.

"Hehe, goddess, I'm afraid you got it wrong back there on the battlefields~ I'm not constantly watching you because I _fancy_ you. I'm watching you because I fancy the idea of _fucking_ you."

"…."

"Lost for words, now, hmm? Well, don't feel bad, Elizabeth!" I smirk, walking closer to the woman in white. I long to touch the curves of her waist and chest. She eyed me with an unusual expression as I turned my direction, and circled her like a lion preparing to pounce a baby antelope.

"General… We are not so different in the end. Please, please just hear me out—"

"I fear you may be wrong, goddess. I'm a demon, and you're a goddess. We're on very different sides of a war, and you want me to _help you_?"

Elizabeth turned her face away from me, and looked towards the sun. Then, she turned back, but stared at my head instead of meeting my gaze. She smelled like nighttime lavender and morning dew.

"I'll give you something in return if you do this for me."

Oh? And, pray tell goddess, what might that be? Give me a flower?

"…What would you give me, goddess, if I said yes?"

"…A f-favor."

"A favor for a favor?"

"Yes, General."

I huffed, feeling my loins spark with excitement. A goddess was willing to give _me_ a favor? As in, anything I could ask for?

I've wanted to stick my dick up her lady parts for years, but now that I seem to have the opportunity… Well, I couldn't believe it!

"Mhmm, mhmm… I see… And _why_ must I stop my people at Londinium?"

The goddess before me swallowed down a gulp of air. Her face was tired, but the determination behind her one blue eye made even _me_ question the situation at hand. She lifted a arm, her long sleeve falling down to reveal her wrist and forearm, to brush away the wayward strands of hair that kept falling from her ear.

"I have my reasons," she spoke, eyebrows pinching together ever so slightly. "With all due respect, General, I would like to keep them to myself."

Hm. So the girl _did_ have some balls after all! Heh, cool, because I was starting to worry about her submissiveness. Who knows what could happen to such a naïve girl, out in the open… _What am I thinking_? _Why should I care what happens to her_?

"Respect granted, Elizabeth."

She visible relaxed. Her shoulders dropped and her chin dipped down, hair falling over her blushing face. With lips pink and full, she puts out a heavy sigh of breath. "Thank you so, so much, General Meliodas."

"Don't mention it. Now… about that favor~"

She jerked her head up, eyes widening in realization. Did she forget already? I smirk, placing my hands on my hips. My shoes crunch the crisp grass beneath my thick black boots.

"What… what must I do…?" she started, but I shushed her.

"Surprise me."

"Surprise you…?"

"Yep! Go on, do something to me. And make it naughty~"

"N-Naughty…?"

In eagerness, I nod my head excitedly. Oh, have I waited for this moment! I was seriously considering just cornering the goddess and having my way with her (not like I haven't done it before), but something about the thrill of being attracted to a _goddess_ made me hold off on doing her. Admittedly, I found it fun to chase the winged broad around Britannia.

This was the first time we had actually had a full-fledged, civil conversation. I wanted to hold it out as long as possible.

"True, I don't expect you to be any good…" How would Elizabeth react to being put down? Would she try proving me wrong and have a full-fledged make-out session with me? Get shy and run away? Give me head? "But, I wouldn't expect anything else from a wanton—"

"General, kindly please, close your eyes."

I did, surprised by her firmness. I hope she'll try proving me wrong, though—

I felt hands touch my cheeks. Jerking in curiousness, I feel these soft, feather-light fingers grace my jawbone and chin. They caressed my neck, and tillt my face upwards. Elizabeth's breath, smelling sweet like honeydew and warm virgin flesh, ghosted against my skin. I could hear the bones in our bodies creak with how stiff we both were. So hyper and so circumspect, eager yet unwilling to take a risk like this… Even though I knew I would be in deeper shit than Zeldris was when he befriended that mortal, I didn't care. My insides burned as the goddess before me breathed against my face, feeling the smallest of graces of her plump lips.

Then, her lips lightly press against my right cheek in a brief kiss.

"Thank you, General, Prince Meliodas, Eater of Virgin Hearts… I would not have expected you to care, or listen, to my supplication, but you were kind enough to even comply. For that, I pray you have many long years of happiness come your way." And with that, the goddess took off in loud, powerful beats of her wings.

I stood there, for some time, with my eyes still closed. I believed, with upmost seriousness, that this woman would be the death of me.

Sooner, rather than later, for when I told my men at Londinium to march south of it, I discovered why Elizabeth wanted me to not set destruction on the town just yet. She wanted to evacuate the citizens before we attack, and actually had the balls to _privately meet with me_ so she could gain the time to. Why?

Londinium's a refuge for orphans.

* * *

"Dada."

I look down.

Morgana walks beside me, wearing a long white tunic that dragged the ground behind her. She grips my hand in her sticky, tiny one, suckling on her other. Her golden goddess wings lay awkwardly across her head and back. They weren't quite fully developed, yet.

"Morgie-poo, I see you~"

The miniature version of me smiled widely, mumbling incoherent words without meaning. I smiled back. I'm happy and content.

I'm suddenly letting go of her hand. She clutches the air for me, whining loudly to the point of near-crying. I stay close, though, just in case she falls.

"Morgana sweetie," says another. I look to my left.

Elizabeth kneeled just a foot away, her hands held out excitedly. My mate's face was kind, pale, and gentle. Her blue and orange eyes flared with love and affection. I beam at her from my side of the mossy cave, heavy with scents of poppy and rain. Elizabeth was so beautiful, sitting at the mouth of the cave like this. Her wings, wide and wonderful and glorious, arched over her like a shield of honor. She had birthed me such a beautiful gift, too.

"Come here, Morgana, come to mommy," she said, voice as soft as a piano note on the lightest of scales. Our daughter looked over at her mother, green eyes blinking innocently. Finally, Morgana put one foot out in front of her and took a shaky step forward. And then another. And then another—

"Yay! You made it! Amazing job, my baby girl!" Elizabeth cheered, hugging our daughter to her chest.

This was my life now. And, I was happy with it. I hope that prayer of my mate's all those years ago worked tenfold. But, gosh, it was going to fast. Yesterday it felt like I had just broken out of that Goddess Amber, and today we're witnessing our daughter's first steps!

Morgana giggled cutely and clutched at the silverette. It was unexpected when Morgana abruptly grabbed the goddess's breast and stuck her face between them. _Ohmygodsheisjustlikeme_ —

I slapped my knee and laughed whole-heartedly. "The brat takes after me, alright!"

"Oh, quiet, you," Elizabeth hushed, a light blush forming on her smooth cheeks. While she gently tried to tug the toddler out of her lady mounds, Morgana just buried her face in more. "I'm trying to wean her…"

"Aw, that's too bad. Wouldn't mind if you kept breast-feeding a little while longer. She sure loves your booby-juice. Lord knows I do."

" _M-Meliodas_!"

" _MORGANA_!"

I screamed.

The girl— _my_ girl, _my_ daughter, _my_ offspring. Part me, part Elizabeth. She just sat dumbfounded at the center of the field. The goddesstic tablet that lay on the ground as a pile of stone and crafted rock was not clean. Elizabeth lay across the intricate slabs, motionless and spread out like a sacrifice to the heavens.

Which, she was.

"Do… do you know what just happened?" I said, voice tense. I… just refuse to believe that… No. Elizabeth… don't leave me—

"No, daddy."

"Why?"

"Hu?"

"Morgana."

"Daddy."

"Morgana."

"Daddy…?" my tiny, female version of myself questioned, her eyes raising in confusion. She looked so… innocent, sitting here. Sitting in a pool of her own mother's blood. Did Morgana care that Elizabeth just sacrificed herself in her place? Was she thankful that the only fucking thing I really loved just died, so she could breath another day on this wretched earth?

"…" I can't speak anymore. The pain— It's just to great—

What… what is this feeling? I can't stop it—

I can't see. I can't smell. I can't hear. I can't do anything but feel like I'm going to explode into oblivion itself.

I just… feel… pain. So, so much pain. Why did this have to happen? Why!?

I just feel anger.

So, so much anger. I— What am I—

The anger rose inside till it was all I knew.

My black-eyed sight fell upon the tiny meek thing on the ground. I cared not for the goodness that once housed my hearts. In this moment, I've already forgotten the way I loved Elizabeth, or the way she changed me for the better. I forget the love I have for my child. My brothers, my father, my family, my clan— Nothing mattered anymore. The only thing I desire, and must see fulfilled this second, before I just die from frustration, is destroying everything in my path. Nothing will be spared.

My darkness roared to life, after having been surpressed for far longer than it was used to, and burned through by being with a dark fire. It flared in my eyes and in my fingertips. I could feel the markings of my race dance across my face like wet paint.

The child, once someone I held dear to me, was now nothing more than a roadblock in my path of destruction. It shivered as I neared, and with zeal I reached for the weapon by my side. A weapon such as this should never belong to a child.

"Wha're you doing with Excalibur, daddy— D-Daddy!? Whah—! DADDY!" a being never screaming so loudly before.

Killing had never hurt so good before.

* * *

"This is it," Jenna said, watching the scene of Meliodas loose his resolve and control. "This is what he needs to overcome." The Druids, having watched with mixed emotions as they played through the demon's mind. Horrified that he was once so brutal and savage, yet their resentment melted bit by bit as they watch the love and kindness grow within him. And then this happened.

The Goddesses, after their leader was suddenly killed by Morgana, seized the girl and mounted her on the entrance of The Coffin of Eternal Darkness. She, Morgana, would be used to seal the demon race in a cage of solitude, for what intended to be now till the end of time. But nothing was like a mother's love.

Love was indeed a powerful thing. So powerful, the Druids knew, that it could fuel magic as well as determination. Yet, there was a fine line between selfish and selfless love.

Elizabeth the goddess had given her heart to the general of the Demon Clan. A demon so ferocious, that his very name sent fear into any ear that heard it.

Meliodas, The Eater of Virgin Hearts, General of the Demon Clan, and eldest son of the Demon King. He was groomed and raised into being the next demon lord, and he would have done a damn fine job of it, too, if it hadn't been for Elizabeth the Innocent. She had been as awkward as him, Jenna mused, as they danced their way into a forbidden relationship that grew into something beautiful. True, Meliodas's original intentions with the goddess were anything but good, but she had warmed his cold-bloodedness into love. And that love grew into a certain little someone. A certain little someone, who, from the observing of the Druids, wasn't completely at fault, here.

Morgana was the combination of a demon and a goddess. Even at this young age, in this memory, she showed signs of being very powerful in her future.

Was it that, Jenna theorized, Morgana's opposing gene mixture was too much for her to handle? Having two very different sides to one soul… it was bound to spell disaster. From what Jenna and Zaneri was seeing, Morgana was nothing more than a troubled and sickly child who struggled with the immensity of her two powers. In Jenna's theory, Morgana had been afflicted by dementia because of her colliding genetic makeup.

When Morgana killed the Goddess of Humility, it probably was completely by accident. A rush of the child's own darkness, perhaps. Meliodas here wasn't all to innocent either. He could have ensued in strengthening his daughter's abilities. But, he chose not to, thinking it was for the better. Clearly, he had been wrong. Now it was up to Meliodas himself to realize that he, too, isn't the entire victim.

But what Jenna found interesting, was the way Meliodas, and his brothers, differed from other demons.

"Can he handle this? Meliodas is a demon… Apparently," Zaneri mumbles, her heart broken in more ways than one. Her long-time crush was not even _clos_ e to the same age-unit as Zaneri, or _available_. He hitched-up with a _goddess_ of all things! Not to mention, Meliodas was a **demon** , and a horrid one at that.

"Oh, I think he can. I've already picked up on the way his actions differ from other demons."

"Oh?"

"Do you know what an Ancient One is, sister?"

"How could I not know? An Ancient One is a single individual made up of several different creatures, created by the holy powers of the goddesses. This power was taken away _by_ the goddesses, themselves, because it was too much for mortals to handle. A horde of Ancient Ones nearly wiped out humanity a few times, remember? Why do you ask?"

"I believe Meliodas is an Ancient One. The Sin of Wrath possesses abilities that proceed typical demon-kind behavior."

"…You may be right. But what kind of creatures is Meliodas a combination of?"

"Demon is _obviously_ in his makeup, that's for sure. But… I do believe fairy, giant, human, possibly goddess, too, was included in the magical formula for our precious demon-prince, here. I'd also say dwarf or gnome, but I'm not 100% sure."

"…Now what?"

"Now? Now we force him to deal with his darkness. If he can't, Meliodas will have to face Morgan le Fay, his daughter, with only half his power."

"Fair enough. Shall we?" Zaneri said, collecting the pieces of her broken heart. She had crushed on Meliodas, hard. Oh well, what's a Druid to expect?

"Yes. But let's pray that this goes quickly… I'm sensing massive amounts of energy coming from the area in which the Sins ran off to. Plus, I fear Ban may have escaped."

* * *

It took me eight hours.

 _Eight hours_ to overcome my darkness. 'Overcome', in this case, didn't mean defeat. Rather, I just threw my hands in the air and thought 'well, you're part of me as much I am apart of you, old friend.' We might as well try to get along, again. With me still being the one who calls the shots, of course.

The gamble's gotten better, and the numbers are rising in my benefit. Goddesses were smiling on me today.

"How do you feel?" Zaneri asked as she patted the wrinkles in my vest down. She's being a little touchier then usual. What's up with her?

"Hm! Better then ever!"

"Has he got his power back!?" screamed Hawk.

Hawk, much to my happiness, had stayed and waited for me. The pork wasn't much to look at, but my smirk was brighter than early summer sun once I saw him. He was the first to greet me once I exited my 'test'.

Playing Elizabeth's and Morgana's death over and over again worked me up in all the worst ways. Having to finally just tell myself that I'd gain nothing by lashing out in my wrath, I gained control of it.

And boy was I ready to let it out.

"Now, Meliodas—"

"I'm fine!" I tell the dark-haired Druid, slapping Lostvayne in its seethe. Strapping Liz's sword to my back, dressed in a new dress-top, trousers, and a fancy black and gold coat, I was ready to face Morgana.

Or, more locally known, Morgan le Fay.

Where'd the 'le Fay' come in?

"I'm gonna hog-kick her right in the schnoz!" my four-legged friend cheered in the background, reeved up himself. "Let's go—!"

"Wooh, hold on, Captain Sin!" Jenna called as we prepared to leave Istar for south, where, supposedly, Morgana was.

I turn back, pouting with poke-faced eyes, as I watch the Druids come running after me. The white-haired sister approaches me, and places a firm hand over my shoulder.

"Meliodas. We saw a good deal of your memories, back there…"

"I figured. Did it scare you much?"

"No, surprisingly I've seen worse. Just, listen to what I have to say, Dragon Sin. Don't underestimate Morga—"

"Hah, I already realized that _hours_ ago! But, don't worry. I'll swing in and throw her over my knee—"

"Meliodas. How do you envision your daughter? Knowing three thousand years have gone by? I… seriously _doubt_ she's the small child from back then."

"Hmm? I don't think Morgana would've grown up much more. You saw how she… acted, right? A bit mental, but hey, she's family!"

"Yes, I did. But remember Mordr—"

"Don't worry about it!" I insist, turning around with a skip in my step. Yes, I was upset to hear this random granddaughter of mine was destined to cause the fall of Britannia, but I was sure me and Elizabeth could help her. Heck, if Morgana's still as bad as she was three thousand years ago, me and the Sins will help raise Mordred! How bad could a kid be when raised by us?

I was actually exited about this. Now with my darkness all buddy-buddy with me, I felt comfortable to admit that Morgana was still alive, and was shriving for my attention. Well, I think it was time to call for hers, too.

My worry for Elizabeth was much more subdued than earlier. If Diane was looking for her, I felt comfortable. I trusted the giantess with her.

As for the rest of my crew members… what were they up to?

"Oh, Meliodas…" Zaneri whispered, just as Hawk and I paraded down the valley away from Istar. Sun in the sky, Hawk singing his battle song by my side, knowing Elizabeth is probably in good hands, off to see my daughter after nearly forgetting about her for three thousand years, and I was feeling great!

And off to see a _granddaughter_ , too!

I'll just rough Morgana up a little bit, remind her that peoples' lives are at stake. Tell her she's been a little bit harsh. I'll hold her in one arm while I keep the Sins back at my other, and hope to get an explanation for this whole mess for once and for all. Before my crew gets to her, first. And Mordred.

Okay, Morgana might not be so bad after all. I'll just need to be more patient with her… insanity.

"What's the worst that could go wrong?" I say smiling, speed walking down the valley with Hawk at my side.

* * *

A/N: THEY GONNA REUNITE! (p.p)

There will probably be two more chapters. Three if I feel like doing a epilodge.


	9. Chapter 9: Like Father Like Daughter: P1

A/N: Yo

LET'S GET READY TO RUUUMMMBBBLLLLEEEEEEEEEEE!

Quotes that inspired story:

"Don't misunderstand me. I am not scoffing at goodness, which is far more difficult to explain than evil, and far more complicated. But sometimes it's hard to put up with" – Margaret Atwood

"My silence is not weakness, but the beginning of my revenge" – hatem

"Families are like branches on a tree. We all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one" – unknown

"I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love" – Marilyn Monroe

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" – Abraham Lincoln

"A single moment of misunderstanding is so poisonous, that it makes us forget the hundred lovable moments spent together within a minute" – unknown

"The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear" – Gandhi

"I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do" – D. Dale Gulledge

"If payback is a bitch and revenge is sweet, then I must be the sweetest bitch you'll ever meet" – unknown

Songs that inspired this story and birthed Morgana:

"Stay" by Dead Battery

"The Warmth" by Koda

"Sister Rust" by Damon Albarn

"In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins

"Broken Crown" by Mumford and Sons

"Breaking the Habit" and "What I've Done" by Latin Park

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes (I prefer the Glitch Mob Remix version)

* * *

I do not own Nanatsu no Taizai/Seven Deadly Sins. Just my version of Morgan le Fay and the plot

* * *

Family is like the branches of a tree.

We all grow in different directions, bearing varying amounts of leaves, thorns, or fruit, with twists and turns that's solely unique to our own self. No matter how far or how contorted we grow, if we remain on the tree, we'll always be apart of the same roots. The only way to officially separate a branch from a tree is by cutting it off. By doing that, you're killing it. You're killing that person. Otherwise, that branch is holding on for good.

I had believed for nearly three thousand years that I'd permanently cut Morgana from my tree. I'd held onto too many leaves and thorns, and it blinded me from seeing the truth. The truth being that Morgana was still connected to me as much as I was connected to her.

Hawk's hooves clopped against rock and soft earth, sounding quaint and fanciful along with the flow of the river. I hadn't thought of it before, but the pig could certainly hold his own. I haven't even heard him complain once—!

"Are we _there_ yet?" he whined.

Never mind.

"Err, when did we leave Istar again?" I respond, sounding curious and innocent. Yet, inside, I felt ready to explode from excitement. That excitement be good or bad, I wasn't too sure. I was happy at the thought of meeting this granddaughter of Elizabeth's and mine, but as for Morgana, I still held some inner grudges.

"Twenty minutes ago!" the pig snorts feverishly.

"Well, then we should be th—"

I felt the power surge before I could smell it. It slapped me across the face like a hand from the goddesses, and halted me in my tracks with a gasp. Wind mushed my hair, but I'm not bothered by it. Rather, I'm concerned, because I smell not fighting, but frustration and rotting corpses.

What's going on?

"So what do you plan on doing once you see your daughter?" Hawk asked, indifferent to the power surge beyond. I dash faster and shrug.

Firstly, I plan on having a word or two with Morgana. However, I can't be certain that's what she'll want as well. "First plan I have is to just talk with her. Ya know, see what she's up to. If that doesn't work, I'll just go with plan B!"

"Plan B? What's plan B?"

My grip on Lostvayne's handle tightens. "I'll fight her." **_I'll kill her_**.

"Humph. Got to say it so carelessly?"

"What? Why the long face?"

"Um, n-nothing! It's just…" The pig pugod sadly. "I've been thinking… Maybe you should try seeing things from Morgana's point of view."

"Huh?"

The pig grumbled as he jumped over a log. "From what I've heard, Morgana's in a real pickle, ya know? Her daughter's sick, and no one what's to help her, and she's got no one to run to, _and_ she's been through a lot already… Common Meliodas! Didn't you hear the part about Morgana being forced to be Uther Pendragon's concubine? I don't think that sounds very consensual."

I blink, face voice of emotion, for I had none which to give to hide my inner thoughts.

Basically, Hawk was implying that Morgana had been… raped. I'm not saying I don't care, because both my inner instincts were thrashing in rage at the thought, but I haven't seen my kid for _three thousand years_. I know she's bound to have changed in one form or another, even though I still imagine her as a little girl with sickly-developed wings, dressed in a bloodied tunic and still sucking her thumb despite being old enough not to.

Hawk _did_ speak some sense into me. If Morgana's been… hurt in some way… Wait. Morgana has the power to kill a _goddess_ like it's as easy as pie. How could a human have the ability to overpower her? Plus, Morgana fell off the wagon pretty early. Getting abused while your already nuts would make anyone _more_ nuts.

Ugh, I know I'm treating this too lightly, but I still hate the idea of meeting Elizabeth's killer— No.

Morgana didn't _kill_ Elizabeth. Elizabeth _risked her life_ for our daughter's, because, well, _she's our daughter_. That was the job of a parent; to look out for them, protect them, teach them how to survive…

…Which I did a fabulous frickin' job of doing. I sheltered Morgana her whole childhood, until I tried killing her. That'd make anyone… nuts.

Shit.

Now _I'm_ the bad guy.

…Could it be that Morgana just didn't know _how_ to behave around others? Because I kept her from, well, _everything_? Was that why she killed the Goddess of Humility?

My outlook on Morgana's starting to change for the better.

And I'll be damned if I let anything else happen to her, or her daughter, Mordred… my granddaughter Mordred.

Hawk, I decide, would have to find his own way to Camelot. I heard him squeal angrily at me when I leaped into the air and bounded over, strength and senses maximized since Lostvayne was returned to me; and that I had accepted my darkness.

Soring over at inhuman speeds, I abruptly land feet-first at the start of the town.

White fire was what greeted me. This village roared with heat and waves of ash, the bright blinding-white flames reaching up toward the heavens. The buildings and houses cried tears of smoke, but no a soul cried out in terror. _This is not the way things have to be_ , _Morgana,_ I thought as I unsheathed Lostvayne. Gripping my sword, I began walking down a cobblestone path, positioned to fight. Morgana could be anywhere, for the Sins had left to answer her call of attack hours ago.

"Hey! Anybody out here?!" I called out, keeping my shoulders ferm. My demon sences flared, but nothing told me my daughter was close by.

I voiced out several more times, busting open doors and windows and looking into barrels.

Still, no sign of life was here. It's a ghost town… Yet, what makes me thing that Morgana may indeed have something to do with this, is the fact that the fires never _ceased_ , nor actually _burn_ down anything. This town was completely fine and intact besides the roaring flames that coated it. These flames were not harmful. To me, however, they felt hot to the touch. Even as I throw a piece of wayward trash into the fire, that trash remains unharmed. When I stuck my hand into it, my skin sizzled with pain. Odd…

" _Captain…"_ mewled a tiny voice, muffled afar.

I whip my head around, keenly scanning the area for a survivor. I wasn't displeased with my find.

King's bare foot peeked out from a gutter, twitching slight to signal me he was still alive. A small pool of blood formed along the drainpipe, flowing next to the fairy boy's foot. He shifted and stretched, till I was able to see the small symbol of a bear on his ankle. His toes curl, but he goes limp seconds after.

"King!" I exclaimed excitedly, but worry fills my head. How did King get hurt? Is all this blood his? If so, why wasn't he dead already? If it's not his, then someone else's walking around missing a couple of litters of vital fluids. I rush over to help him out, sliding down to my knees. He groaned pitifully, so I immediately thought the worst. Okay, so maybe Morgana's still pretty bad—

"C-Captain, please…" he whined lowly, the pale flames around us casting dancing shadows across his round, freckled face. I hush the tiny king and hoisted him to a sitting position on the road. I grab Chastiefol from the gutter and set it on my knee. Knelling down, I slap King's cheeks back and forth to wake him up. He grunts, not yet meeting my eyes.

"What happened?"

"I… I don't know… I don't really care, either…"

"-?"

King looked up from his droopy state and met my gaze with pure exhaustion. His orange eyes gleamed with lazy regard. "I…don't care… I don't want to do anything… I'm… Sloth… Lazy… Nothingness…"

"Huh… you okay, buddy?"

"No… I'm… tired…?"

"King, tell me what happened. Where are the others?"

"I… don't know?"

"King."

"Captain… I'm so _tired_."

"I can see that. Can you stand?"

"Maybe…"

I sighed. King smelled like a kid who'd just woken up from a coma, one in which he was untended to. His orange eyes were droopy, and exhaustion on the highest of levels clouded his vision. To tired to even yawn. But, as I check him over, concerned for his wellbeing and metal stability, I find no wound, burn mark, or cut.

Suddenly, wetness formed at his crotch area. The scent of urine fills my nose. I blink, crawling back to politely let his body do whatever it deemed needed to be done. "King… Did you just pee yourself?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. Something was seriously wrong.

The near-passed out fairy looked at me curiously, and then down at himself. He still remained indifferent. "Yes…?"

"Well, aren't ya gonna clean yourself up…? Diane should be with us soon—" Mentioning his girlfriend might make King start caring about how'd he just pissed himself.

"Eh. To… tired. Don't… care..." King then promptly reached out, snatched Chastifol from me and curled up, not bothered by the fact he'd just peed himself. He didn't even mind that Chastifol was filthy as he went to sleep.

 _What in the world…?!_

A movement was made from behind a wooden door. I stood, pulling away from the snoozing boy and guarded myself, preparing to fight.

Among the white fire, Gowther waltzed out and came into my line of vision. His stance was stiff and ridged, and his eyes held something very, very dark. One I hadn't seen him wear in a long time, not since the Holy War.

Dark intent.

"Gowther! Where is everybody? Do you know what's up with King?"

"Yes. But I don't care."

"Uh… Are _you_ okay?"

"Captain."

"Yes? What's wrong, Gowther?" I don't have time for this.

"I am… wanting."

"'Wanting'? I'm afraid we've got no time for reading, bud! We're in a pretty serious situation right now—"

"No. I want it _now_ ," Gowther insisted, and headed toward me. I blankly stare at the pinkette. Something was very different with him, too. I raise Lostvayne, letting him know I'm armed. I don't want to hurt the doll, but if he tried to mess with my mind—

"Gowther…" I warned, fixating my fighting stance.

"Give me your emotions, Captain. I want it feel it so badly… I want to feel it, too…"

Damnit, what's going on with everyone!?

" _Oh Captain_ ~!" cawed a voice from above.

I jerk my head up, surprise covering my demonicaly-marked face. " _Merlin_!?"

* * *

"How've you been, dear Captain~" the raven-haired mage cooed as she landed beside me. I narrow my eyebrows as I watch her put herself between Gowther and I, and she rose a hand to the doll to stop him. She shook her head as she looked around, then mumbled, "Sneaky little Morgan, pulling yet another stunt~"

"What— Wait, ' _Morgan_ '?! Merlin, do you kn—"

" _Haha_ , yes, I know 'Morgan' is 'Morgana'~ I'm actually in the midst of doing something about that, now. Hold on for one moment, will you please?" Merlin said, before she pulled something out of her pocket and threw it at the pinkette. Gowther blinked as a spell bead was thrown and broken next to his feet, entrapping him in a wall of _Absolute Cube_.

"This is not what I want…" Gowther, expressionless, mouths as he tapped against the magical barrier.

"Please forgive Gowther's behavior, my dear Captain~ He's a bit on the rebellious side, as is the rest of the Sins."

"Are they under some kind of spell?" I inquire, watching the mage tie up her bag of spell beads. She smirked her famous smirk, but I felt like she was more… sugary than usual. Merlin spoke different, too, as if some piece of her bumptiousness was missing. Yet the know-it-all-ness was definitely still present. "Where's Morgana?"

"Hmm, good questions~! And yes. This is as spell."

"…And?"

"' _And_ '?"

"Where's she?"

"Ah. I have no idea~" she smiled charmingly, something glinting in her amber eyes. I know Merlin like the back of my hand. She only smiled like this if everything was okay.

My right eye twitches. Merlin was keeping something from me. Again. Whatever it was, it must have happened while she was away.

The mage shifts her gaze from the entrapped Gowther over to King, who hadn't moved since he curled up in his soiled clothes. She frowned, tsking as she talked over, and nudged the fairy boy's head with her foot. King barely moved, but whined as she jostled around Chastiefol.

"Morgan's put an anti-behavioral spell on them called ' _Fragmentary Abandon'_. It only works when feelings of great displeasure or defeatism are present, however. Her magic is fair unique, so I would be careful if I were you, Captain~!" Merlin explained with a witty wave of her hand, ushering me toward the exit of the harmlessly burning town. "If you're wondering about the fire, it's Goddess Flame. Harmless to we earthlings, but… _hehe_ , might cause some _difficulties_ for demons." She eyed me knowingly.

"Right. What can you tell me about Morgana— or, well, Morgan."

"Hmm. There is a many fascinating things to say about this little imp of yours, Captain. She _is_ fair knowledgeable in magic. What makes her different from me, however, is that she's a _priestess_. Priestesses pray and makes sacrifices to the goddesses, and in return, they receive special power unavailable to normal humans, giants, or fairies, that allow them to see into the future, have boundless knowledge in alchemy, and the ability to create holy relics and Ancient Ones."

 _"_ Wow. Wouldn't have guessed it myself!"

"Of _course_ you wouldn't have! That's precisely why you and the others are hopeless without me~ It's tragic, yes, but true… Oh! I almost forgot to mention! That little imp of yours has a reason behind this plague she's brewing~ Has an ill dau—"

"Daughter. My granddaughter. Her name's Mordred, right?"

"Aww. Did you hear that one from the Druids? Poo, I would have _loved_ to see your expression when you learned that one~" Merlin pouted, yet her eyes gleamed with merit.

I continue walking, and it wasn't until now I notice Merlin was actually _walking_ beside me. Not the 'beside me' part, but the _walking_ bit.

Doesn't Merlin usually float…?

"Where're the others?"

"Diane and Ban's brawling in town's square, King Arthur and his men are headed here now… Morgan, I fear, has set up another roadblock, which is headed here now… Is it only me, or does anyone else smell decomposition—"

" _Diane_?!" What's _Diane_ doing here!? Isn't she suppose to be looking for Elizabeth? Well, if Diane's here, that meant Elizabeth's here, too... Or, Diane _hasn't_ found her yet, and Elizabeth's still in danger… Or she's here _and_ in danger. A cold chill runs up my spine, and the demonic mark swirling above my eye spikes with my tension. Elizabeth, with Diane or not, is in danger, and—

"Captain. Your princess is in the safest of places available."

"…Good. No, that's great. Okay," one more worry gone! "Why's—" I'm interrupted by a loud boom.

Speak of devils. I jerk my head up in a glare, watching the sky fill with dust and magical residue. The Goddess Flame roared on, yet not hurting anything.

"I'm afraid that both Ban and Diane are under the same spell~"

I grimace. Snapping my gaze to Merlin, I snap, "I need to find Morgana. She needs to stop this."

"Tsk, tsk, dear Captain. She's not _all_ loon. Most likely, she's set up all this shit for us so you and she can have a little _talk_."

"…Explain?"

"Morgan's… let's say… actually rather smart, as much as I'd hate to admit. Everything happening is caused by her careful planning."

"She _planned_ this?"

"Yes. She's probably somewhere close by, possibly down by the valley. Near the caves."

I all but bolt toward the direction. I'll just check up on the others before going…

Is that me still avoiding?

I could hear Diane's bitter voice and Ban's malicious chuckles over a house, so I leap over with a graceful jump. Landing with a loud bang and the ground cracking under my feet, I look upon the mess Diane and Ban had made.

"Give it! I want it!" Diane, in her human size, squealed as Ban's grip on her Gideon tightened. They pulled at both sides of the hammer like it was some huge toy for tug-of-war. Ban growled and barked, reminding me of a real fox, as he claimed the damn thing as his.

"No! It's mine!"

I'm absent for eight hours, and everything's already gone to shit.

I scan the area, desperate the find that tiny blonde girl running around in a bloody tunic with poorly developed goddess wings. Diane and Ban argued like idiots, breaking and crashing into things, yet the city continued burning- but not really _burning_. Ban still looked sickly. Other than this, not a soul besides us was here.

When I approach my crewmembers, they pay me no mind. But when Diane's brown gaze landed on Lostvayne, she yelled out, "No fair! I want it!" She lunged and let go of Gideon in favor for my sword. I pout, then sidestep and land a few feet away, wondering what in heck's name has gotten into my friends. "I should have it! I deserve it more than you!"

"Gimme, Cap'n!" Ban joined once he saw my weapon as well. I frown, and raise my sword in the air as warning.

"Guys, you're under a spell! Listen to me—"

"Why should we listen!?" Diane cried, "You've done nothing right!"

"Hehe~ Big-girl here _is_ right~"

I groan. I didn't have time to dance around with these two. Ban chuckled darkly, lunging for me. Another sidestep, another warning, and I'm cutting the air, pricking both the Sins before me on their cheek. "I warned ya!" I cheer.

"Ow!" Diane whined, clutching her cheek. Her brown hair swayed as she rocked back and forth, crying in-between blubbers of discomfort. Gosh, they really were out of it!

I narrow my demon senses around us. My mind-map opened, and I could gaze upon the life forms in my area. Me, Ban, Diane, Merlin over yonder with Gowther (who was now making a speedy way toward me), and King who lay unmoving. Hawk was running here as fast as his little trotters could carry him. A large formation of people, human I guess, was gathered at the east of town. Why is everyone over there?

Yet one presence stood out to me. It felt familiar to me. Yet, also… different. It was farther, byhond Camelot, around the desolate forest that use to be where Mount Virtue was. That's where I tried killing…

 ** _Morgana_**.

Determination fueled my veins and my blood rushed through my head. Feet against the ground in a loud jolt of power, I took off in a run toward the new presence. Yet when I arrive at the edge of town, King Arthur and his men stop me. Merlin appears, hovering behind me.

"Lord Meliodas! And Merlin! It's been too long!" The auburn-haired king squealed happily, hopping down his great big horse. He galloped up to us and embraced us both into a hug. I was glad he was glad to see me, and I felt partly the same, but my body was so stiff with the need to fight and trepidation of reuniting with my once-believed-to-be-dead daughter. I couldn't hug him back properly.

"To you as well, Your Majesty~ Have Excalibur with you?"

"Yep! Just like you asked!"

Woah, Excalibur? Why would Merlin want Arthur to have—

Is Morgana trying to reenact our last moments together? Not just trying to force the Druids into making a cure for Mordred?

Arthur reached back to his horse and pulled down a seethed sword.

I had seen it at Lyonesse… I fought next to it… I managed to even touch it.

But, I already knew that sword like the back of my hand. I made it with Goddess Amber in the fires of hell, after all.

"So, have you discovered the cause of the plague? And… why isn't the fires burning anything?"

"Goddess fire. It burns demons, yet harmless to everything else. But yes, Your Majesty~ Our dear little Captain here will take care of it, won't you?"

I grunt in agreement.

"You'll be needing Excalibur, Your Majesty," Merlin said, "In one form or another. For now, let us fight the zombie horde headed our way, hmm?"

"What zombie hor— Oh. That zombie horde."

I turn around to see what the Camelot king was refearing to. Ah. Those weren't humans.

Hell! Who was bringing souls back from the dead!?

"Captain," the mage beside me started, patting my head comfortedingly. "I suggest you go find your daughter now. I'll stay here with Arthur, and we'll take care of these fellows and the other Sins~"

"Thanks, Merlin!"

I was off yet again. This time, away from Camelot and toward the valleys and forests reaching beyond.

If Morgana was trying to cause a war, she was doing a mighty fine job already. She had taken over the Sin's mind (minus me and Merlin's), set Goddess Flame to the town as if to annoy _only_ me, and then up and woke the dead. The Druids did say something about her being able to revive the dead, right…? Great. A new Holy War in our own little Camelot.

I bounded over rocks and trees, skillfully dodging fallen logs and spider webs. The skies began to grow darker. Clouds formed in a single spot over a thin, tall mountain like a tornado brewing. Yet with my face toward the heavens, I didn't notice everything in my way.

I come to an abrupt stop at a clearing.

It was familiar, somehow, in a way my mind told me. Rocky mountains jutted around a large clearing, with a lake/pond at the very far edge that ran into a creek which headed west.

"Huh… so this is what's left of Mount Virtue…"

It's changed, for certain. Déjà vu hit me with a slap as I crept down the valley, my shoes crunching grass and dead leaves.

A single cave lay nestled near the lake, hidden with willows both old and new.

Was that… _our_ cave? As in, Elizabeth's and mine's old home!? Three thousand years ago?!

I'm so in aw that I don't even notice a beating of wings sounding above me, and come landing in front of me. I flinch, surprised, and bump into whatever- or whomever- had touched down seconds ago.

Stopping so soon was not on my agenda, so I all but hollered as I collided with wall of feathers. The world around me tumbled as I tripped backwards, landing on my bum. My hands sink into the damp earth for support; Lostvayne clanks. I grip it harder.

Something fuzzy and spiky is in my mouth, tickling my lips and taste buds with tastes of heavy spices and sweat. Smells of poppy, sage, earth, and other redolent herbs fill my nose and ran through my sinuses. I sneezed; the strength of the scents clearing me dry. The fuzzy/spiky thing in my mouth, I discover as I go to remove it, is a quill feather. I hold it out in front of my face with a boyish frown.

The quill's golden blonde.

I look up.

An arc of large wings, color of wheat, stood before me. It was in the shape of an elongated heart, folded against some being I was unable to see. The top edges of these wings had long claws, like bat thumbs, in the color of dusty ivory.

The quills quivered ever so slightly, then stretched open like a bird slowing preparing for flight. Those opening wings exposed the curvy body of a woman and her ground-dragging white skirt. Spiraling tendrils made of solid gold and silver twined around a thin waist in complex, intricate designs. It's like ivy curling around a tree truck or pole, but these tendrils were leafless, and there're rings around the bottom of the contraption that held the woman's skirt up. These golden spirals weaved around the small of her back, going southward to her front, and stopped where her wings ended at the sides of her back, close to her rump. Not quite goddess wings, but more realistic and avian. Earthly. Like a demon.

 _Earth-bound_.

A head of golden blonde hair tilted left, and I could see the peak of an all-too-familiar chin and round cheeks.

The female turned, and her eyes met with mine.

I could have sworn I was looking at the feminine, older version of myself.

I knew, deep down, that I should have listened to Jenna warning me about changes. Three millenniums have gone by since I last laid eyes on Elizabeth and mine's daughter. I should have expected this. I should have been prepared to meet a whole different person.

The valley went grave-quiet. Bird and other small woodland creatures hushed as a wave of intense magical aura washed over. I, too, felt it and my demonic subcontious purred with pride.

Morgana had indeed grown up, and into a fine beautiful woman with years of edification and experience under her belt… or whatever that metal-thingy was hugging her waist.

She huffed, her wings quivering again as she turned to face me with her whole body. Her 'shirt' consisted nothing more than silky polyester cloth that stretched over her breasts, attached to the same golden silvery tendrils that twined around her neck and shoulders. It made since to wear nothing more than this fancy bra of hers; those wings sure had developed, so the span it had from her shoulder blades to the ends of the small of her back prevented normal wear.

Her skin was fair, a tone somewhere between Elizabeth's and mine, and was overall pristine… But she had a flaw, too. A flaw that I would never be able to forget the reason as to why she had it.

And if, by the goddesses, we leave here hand-in-hand instead of head-to-head, I will always be reminded of it. Every single time I'd look at her.

A large, well-aged scar stretched across her face and torso. It began at the right side of her forehead, peaking from her hairline. It ran across her face, over the bridge of her nose, and reached down to her jaw, stopped, and started again at her clavicle, then made a clear run over her chest. The scar finally ended at the top of her left hip.

 _I_ gave her that scar. _I_ did that to her. And it was permanent, never to go away, and forever a reminder.

Guilt, a feeling I was having more and more of, pooled in my stomach and throat.

Morgana looked down at me, her hands on her wide hips. A frown was formed on her lips – _Elizabeth's lips_ \- and her eyes narrow with slight surprise, anger, and… disappointment? But it was so obvious that there was rarely a time in which she was happy.

I held her gaze. Green eyes clash with green eyes. Her blonde eyebrows pinched together harder, right as a light wind flew by and gently tousled her waist-length hair. I blink, still taken aback with pure aw at who she'd become.

 _This is Morgana_.

She was here, right in front of me. Physical, present. Real and bodied and alive and breathing and animated. Actually here, not just a figment of my imagination caused from years of guilt and grief.

Morgana was very, very real. She'd never died that day. She had lived on. Now, after all this time, we finally meet again. In the same place I had attempted to kill her at, too.

It's time we had a talk, no?

"Morgie-poo… you got taller!"

Then I was hurled across the valley like a ragdoll.

" ** _YOU_** ** _MOTHERFUCKING_** ** _BASTARD!_** "

"Woah—!" I crashed into a rock wall, it cracking and giving way, and I was flung through a tunnel made by my own self. Debris flew around me and I came to a painful stop on the other side of the mountain. Spitting dirt and rocks, I sit up with a stoic expression as I watch Morgana come flying through the hole I'd made like a bat out of hell, hurling toward me with pure hell in her emerald eyes. I lay still, knowing I probably deserved this. I was tossed around a few times more, being thrown through the mountain and causing something to fall.

She growled like an animal, grasping the collar of my coat as she flung me through the air. Her wings beat powerfully, like a bird of pray in battle, yet maximized by a million. She held me up like that knight did months ago, who'd accused me of housing the Rusty Knight at the Boar Hat. We flew up to the heavens, never leaving the circle of mountains walling the valley. Her eyes burned with hellfire and hate, pain etched into her irises like a carefully smithed jewel.

Morgana griped my collar harder, each vigorous beat of her wings sent waves of powerful wind. It burned my eyes, making me tear.

Or was I crying from a mix of lament and pride?

"Fucking piece of shit, you are… Do you know the amount of shit you've put me through!?"

"I'm… Morgie-poo—"

" ** _DON'T CALL ME THAT_**!" She yelled, flinging me down like a stone. Wind roared in my ears like dragon cries. My soul cried.

I hit the earth like a meteorite, making a crater. Earth shook and ground cracked. Morgana came bolting down after me, and landed on my chest. I wheezed.

"You lost the right to call me terms of endearment on the day you tried murdering me... your own _offspring_ ," She put her sandaled foot to my throat. I coughed. "You even tried replacing me with that skanky boar!"

"B-Boar…? You… you mean Merlin?"

Morgana hissed. "Because of you, I'm in this mess."

"Morgana—"

"It's _Morgan_ now!"

"Morgan… Why didn't you come to me earlier? With Mordre—"

"Don't you think for a second I'd let you near her!" She seethed, stepping off me and grabbing my neck, hoisting me into the air again. Wetness pooled in her eyes. "You've sent me away before, and you'd do it again even if I hadn't already killed thousands of people!"

"Wh— sent you away? What'd you—"

"—Mama?"

Morgan and I go ridged. Time itself seemed to pause. The destroyed mountains crumble in the distance, but the void of tention between my daughter and I was heavy. I placed a hand over Morgan's grip on my throat.

 _Is that Mordred behind me?_

I couldn't turn my head around completely to see who'd called. But Morgan's eyes widened with slight vexation, and she looked around me with a tight frown. Her ceremonial earrings swung.

"Mordred, go back inside!"

"But, I—"

"GO BACK INSIDE!"

"But, me and Eliza—"

"Do I need to repeat myself, young lady?"

"Urrrrrge, you grown ups get all the fun!" fussed Mordred, who then made a grumpy retreat back to whichever cave was 'inside'.

That… that was my granddaughter just now! I smile, hearing her. She sounds like Zeldris when he was small! Funny, though, she didn't sound too sick—

Morgan turned back to me, features softening. But only barely.

"Don't get all gitty on me, shit-face. I've still got a bone to pick to you."

"Hehe," I whistle, her grip still on my throat. "She sounds pretty healthy, Morgie-poo. Recklessly killing millions of humans seems rather harsh, no?"

Her features grew dark, but a sinister smirk spread across her lips. A laugh follows. "She's better, thanks to no one but me and Mother."

"Moth— huh?"

"Oh. How sweet…" she started, leaning in to my face. Her breath fogged against my face, her eyes dried from tears, replaced by spite. My gaze stays fixated on the scar on her face. "Haven't figured it out, yet, daddy-dearest? Elizabeth's here and with Mordred, didn't you know? See, I had to rile you up so she'd come here. Do you really think me that daft? That'd I just stomp around like a shit-brained brat only because I was _angry_? Heh, and here you are, thinking you knew everything. Do you even see that I'm not your biggest problem right now? Or are your emotions for Mother too strong for you to see the big picture? You disappoint me, Heart-Eater. To think you fathered me... I find it rather cute."

Morgan then shot me into the air again.

Ah. Okay. I get it now.

She'd done all that toying with me just to get my darkness flaring. By doing that, she'd made me loose control, and send Elizabeth away when no one was around, or available, to stop the princess from leaving. With her and Mordred close by, Elizabeth must've found her way here by that soul connection they have. By gaining Elizabeth, Morgan had the ability to heal Mordred, knowing her mother wouldn't refuse healing the child; even if Elizabeth remembered her past life or not.

Morgan really has grown up; grown up enough to make her own decisions. And schemes.

 _And she has Elizabeth_.

And she's put Elizabeth in danger, not caring if anyone else besides Mordred got hurt. Does Morgan remember how Elizabeth sacrificed herself in her place? Did Morgan care that she just said she was only _using_ Elizabeth?

Let's forget about the forgiveness crap, hmm?

Time for plan B.

* * *

Five Days Ago:

Merlin awoke with as much slowness as a sloth takes to travel in between trees. Her eyes felt heavy; an unusual feeling for the mage. Her black hair clung to her neck and forehead, telling her that she'd been out at least a few hours. Not too long, but it was long enough for a few important things to happen without her knowing.

First question: Where was she? Second question: What happened after her quarrel with Morgan? Or, as Merlin recollected once she saw the other's face, _Morgan le Fay_. And third: How was it that Morgan le Fay was _alive_? Merlin remembers with great glee that she was able to cut the Cambrian priestess down as easy as butter. What was different, now?

 _Hadn't I taken care of that pesky little runt years ago_? Merlin thought, recalling how this 'Morgan' – aka, 'Morgana', was really 'Morgan le Fay'. She actually felt shocked once Morgan revealed herself to her. Merlin was positive that she had killed her, sixteen years ago…

Merlin grumbled at the memory. Morgan had clearly been looking for fight, but Merlin wasn't about to give that pleasure to her. They spat and brawled, yet once the other slipped out of whatever half-demention she was in, Merlin all but gawking.

" _You lied to me, dearie~ you said I did not know you, but I assure you, we've met before!"_ she had said, as the other woman materialized before her in a burst of white light. Morgan scowled at her, grasping her sorceress's staff. " _I never told you that we've met preliminary hence now, Boar's Sin. Only that you do not know me. Which, you don't_."

Merlin laughed as her opponent appeared completely. She had never made the connections before… But, there was something about Morgan le Fay that screamed her dear ole captain. Be it in her long golden blonde hair, or her vibrant emerald eyes, Merlin saw that the two were definitely related. Never in her wildest dreams would Merlin make this connection.

Morgana, Meliodas's daughter, was Morgan le Fay. Despite Merlin's surprise, she felt sorrier for her captain! Oh, was the poor man in for a shocker!

" _Why so hostile, love~? Hadn't I trounced you in Cambria and Camelot?_ "

" _Trounced me? Please, don't boast yourself, Boar. You and I know full and well that what you did in Cambria was a 100% pure fucking cheat, you duplicitous bitch. What happened in Camelot was a fluke._ "

" _Is that so…? Hmm, well, I'll be honest here. I really wouldn't have guested that you were Morgana, Meliodas and Elizabeth's failure of a daughter. I suppose now is a good time to ask why you are seeking revenge now? You are Morgan le Fay, Cambrian Priestess of yore, correct? Why not take action then when you had the power_?"

" _I still have power! And don't bring up that bastard's name again! This has nothing to do with him_. _I go by_ Morgan _now, so pay respect._ "

" _Oh? Then, by all means, dearie, please explain_!"

" _Urg, you're still as haughty now as you were then. I shame myself to this day for having ever let you into my domain all those years ago. This may shock you, but your overpowerment of me sixteen years ago isn't of importance, right now. Try to wrap your tiny mind around this, Boar, but I can't wait another second to take what I need. The only reason you were able to defeat me sixteen years ago was because I was… half, of what I was. Uther gave me only one good thing during my imprisonment to him, and now its being_ threatened _. Take heed, for I could not fight you then. Half of my power was put into sustaining my fetus. Now that she's born, I'm not letting you or my father get in my way this time_."

Sustaining her fetus? " _Go on."_

"… Sigh _. I have to separate you dumb shits-for-Sins up so I can make things work. So silly you are, Boar. I planned for you to come here so I could chain you into compliance. It's not enslavement. I give you my word. You will just be helping me_."

 _I'm not following her_ , Merlin mulled. What she figured out by now was that Morgan was smarted than Merlin took her for. Separate them… _oh my_. Morgan was _purposefully_ acting like a loon. Morgan wanted to make the Sins loose their minds to paranoia, knowing they were up against an opponent, who not only had relation to their beloved captain, but was irrational and unpredictable. _She was going to pick them off one by one_. " _Right… Make me submit? To you, hun? Hah, how are you going to do that_?"

" _By making you suffer like I had suffered. A mother's love is not a force to be reckoned with, Merlin_." it was then Merlin's memory halts. Now, here she is, few hours later, waking up in a cave.

The raven-haired mage was troubled with many things. One being Morgan's hissy fit in Camelot's royal library, and to the little signs Merlin had ignored between then and now. She hated being out of control. Sadly, this could have been in her control. She just chose not to heed to them until now.

Merlin sat up with a groan. Her mind was blotchy, her body felt worn, and her stomach did the oddest flip once she moved.

Upon opening her eyes, she meets two huge green ones.

She blinks, not afraid. Merlin ghostly thought that it was her Captain or Morgan, and a sick since of déjà vu overtook her. When her vision clears, she makes out the little being before her.

Not Meliodas or Morgan le Fay.

A little girl, no more than twelve years old, Merlin would say, stood before her with the most curious expression. She had the same eyes as Meliodas and his daughter, but doned messy black hair that framed her round face like a dark halo. Her cloths smelled like sweat and sick, a touch of vomit on her chin and oversized shirt. Black veins curled around her legs like roots to a tree, and ghosting her neck and arms.

Merlin squinted her eyes, and wondered if she was dreaming. She opens her mouth to talk, but the girl all but flipped out. "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers!"

"Aw, my sweet, don't be afraid~ I need—" What _did_ Merlin need? She had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there. The mage glances around with amber eyes, finding herself in an earthen room. A cave, she deducts.

Lights hang on the walls, claw marks and magic marks too, and the handprints, both old and new, that lined the cave made it seem welcoming. Safe. Homy. Merlin smiled. A family lived.

The most detailed alchemy lab sat on a long wooden desk to the far east wall, bubbling with trinkets beyond the mortal imagination. The opening of the cave had a little hobbit-like door around it, cracked open to let a draft in.

Merlin turns back to the girl. She looked ready to pass out… This girl was very ill. Possibly kidney failure, most likely caused by a blood clot or an infection. She wouldn't live for too much longer, but Merlin supposed that with proper treatment, the girl'd have a week left to live.

"Hello, child," she cooed, standing up with a suppressed whine. Something was quite off. Not with the situation, but with Merlin herself. Her body felt… empty? Yet, busy? Exhausted, even, and her powers felt drained and used up. But…

"Hi." The girl says, blunt.

"Mm, be so kind as to inform me of our whereabouts?"

The girl looks to and from the opening of the cave. She was waiting for someone, Merlin obvers. "We're home. Uh, my new home! Mama's away right now… S-She told me, to tell you, to work on… um… my medicine? I-I'm not suppose to talk to strangers."

What an oddly charming child.

Merlin stretches her sore body and fixes her coat. "Your mama told you, hmm? Your mother wouldn't happen to be…"

 _Oh._

 _OH._

 _OH!_ How could Merlin have been so _stupid_!? She thinks with an angry thought, taking no mind to how emotional she suddenly was. Morgan was _pregnant_ sixteen years ago! That's why she was so easily overpowered by Merlin! Half her body was busy growing her _fetus_ … _This child_ … "You are Morgan le Fay's daughter, correct?"

The green eyed raven shrugged her shoulders. "Morgan's my mama. Mama says asking questions is good. Do you like asking questions?"

"Why, of course I like questions~ There's no time like learning time, no? How about you, dearie?"

The girl just nods with a little smile. She opened her mouth to speak more, but halts as a painful coughing fit wracked her tiny body. Merlin raised an eyebrow, but reached out like it was second nature for her when the girl fell over. She hugged the child to her chest and carrier her to the cot farther into the cave, where a little candle sat at the bedside and silly little doodles covered the wall. Merlin laid the child down, feeling her head.

An awful fever...

What was up with the mage? She felt so… _in tune_ to this child's needs, like it was what she was meant to do. Before Merlin could question her unusual behavior, a loud beating of wings sounded from the yawning of the cave.

Merlin turns around with a knowing smirk.

The priestess folded her grand golden wings behind her and leaned her staff beside a desk. She shut the door and locked it. She played with the intricate rings of gold that curled around her waist and hips, which held the heavy white skirt to her. It split down the middle, and showed the inside of her hips and her thin white pair of bikini-like bottoms.

A mage in all her glory.

"I see you've met Mordred."

"Aha~" Merlin admitted with a tilt of her head, swaggering over. Mordred, the child, slept soundly. But not without shivering in pain every so often.

"You need to understand, Boar. I'm not purposely being the enemy, here. When I took Mordred to the Cambrian Druids, I hoped… I hoped that they would help her…"

Merlin watches the shorter lass wander into the cave, and pause at a table covered in books and knickknacks, with all the chemistry and alchemy sets. Morgan's unpredictable and rash behavior softened to one of sorrow and motherly frustration.

"But they fucking turned us away! And the Hibernian Druids did, too!" Morgan exclaimed, breaking the calm as she threw a particularly heavy book across the room, it booming against the wall and tumbling to the cave's carpeted floor. Merlin crossed her arms, gazed at Morgan with a disapproving frown, but listened nonetheless. Morgan le Fay went into explaining her reasons, her frustrations, and her history. The mage had a front-row-seat for the other's ridiculously long tale of woe, and was surprised by how tightly Morgan was intertwined with everything... and everyone.

When Morgan rubbed her eyes with her palms, grumbling like an angry child, Merlin knew she was finished speaking. "You are one clever cookie, dearie~ Setting up a solution such as this can have many opportunities to fail. Though, love, I can't blame you. This mess you've sunk yourself into _is_ rather complex… However, you've already planned for every little thing, haven't you? All for the sake of Mordred's life. One'd think it'd be easier, but then again, nothing is."

Morgan snorted. "My father's angst is just the icing on the cake. He actually doesn't have to get involved, not if he really doesn't want to. I'm just throwing my presence at him for later backup. Causing that will spur Mother to come to us. I haven't been to Britannia since Mordred's birth, so she will reflect my experiences through herself. Father's inner demon will try to force him to remember me once he smells my past pregnancy on her, but he will refuse to. His loss of control from suppressing his darkness more than usual will cause the Sins to grow distrustful towards him. This will cause the Sins to break apart, and give me time to collect our necessities."

"I would never have seen it myself," Merlin chuckled, her amber eyes gazing over the books Morgan had. "But, what will you do once Glatisant captures the princess and your daughter? Without a Sacred Weapon, you're as good as dirt I'm afraid."

"Heh. Who said _I'd_ be killing Glatisant?"

"Ooh~? I believe you said only a being of yore could kill an Ancient One, given the proper materials?"

"The one who the Goddess of Humility blesses is involved, now. Once he arrives, the choice of who will gain absolution will be chosen. My parents and their band of idiots, my shitty uncles, or that blasted fuckturd I created three thousand years ago."

"Goddess of Humility… Didn't you kill her once upon a time, dearie?"

"Yes, I did, but not because I wanted to. But goddesses don't really _die,_ you see. She lives on in the souls of chosen mortals."

"Hm. Interesting. Would that mortal possibly be…Escanor? He certainly has goddess-worthy power. But, tell me this, dearie. Why not lure Arthur in with Excalibur? You can take his sword to finish up the job, then you'll be done with it~"

Morgan shifted her damp, green-eyed gaze to the mage. Her plump bottom lip quivered, yet her eyes held seriousness and determination. "I never said I _needed_ Excalibur. It's true that if Meliodas had never put it into the stone with an imprisonment spell, we wouldn't be in this situation right now. But he did, and we're here. I want revenge, too, not just Mordred's health. Excalibur would help, yes, but whenever Meliodas gets his shit together to finally face me, I'll use him and Lostvayne to my advantage."

"Hmm, hmm~ How fascinating~! And, pray tell, Morgan, how do I fit into this clever little scheme of yours?"

"You will be helping me keep Mordred alive long enough until I can lure my mother here, _and_ you will be keeping her safe from Glatisant while I'm out."

"Aha~ I find it precious how you think I'll stay, considering how my loyalties lie with your father. How do possibly think that I'll—"

"I said you'd suffer like I suffered, Boar. Revenge is apart of my plan, too, _remember_?"

"Suffer?" Merlin laughed. "How do you plan on doing that, considering you can't gain authority over me long enough, pregnant or not?"

"Oh… Merlin, Merlin, Merlin," Morgan changed, a sick laugh leaving her. Her laugh was amused, troubled, even. The priestess smirked, feeling gluttonous in her own power. "How can you fight against my power when your body is too busy making its own offspring?"

Merlin stared at the other woman. And stared and stared and stared. _Impossible…_ Morgan wouldn't go _that_ far.. would she? Would Morgan really be so… cunning, as to _impregnate_ Merlin so she couldn't fight against her?

"You know, Boar, artificial insemination really isn't all that difficult, especially with my full power back. To make things more trouble-free, for me, of course, in the long-run, I went ahead and made sure more than one of your eggs were fertilized. How's _four_ little imps of your own sound?"

Merlin touched her stomach. A horrified sinsation spread across her body. It overthrew her, and she was left feeling lost.

This was not something she'd expect. Not in a million years. Fear, for the first time in ages, bloomed within the back of her mind.

"…Who... Who is the father?"

"Take a wild fucking guess."

* * *

A/N: Hiiiiii

Have I told you guys that I love you?

Well, I do~

*gives free cookies to all*

Make sure to love your morgie-poos properly.

Ya know, no cutting them in half or anything.

See ya'll in the next chap!


	10. Chapter 10: Like Father Like Daughter:P2

A/N: Salutations.

So… This is it.

The finale.

Well... Sort of…

ALL RIGHT.

SO I LIED.

THIS AIN'T THE LAST CHAPTER.

SO SUE ME (\;=;)/

THERE'S GONNA BE 1 MORE CHAPTER + AN EPILOGUE (melizabeth smut, lol)

 _Story climaxes make me weak in the knees_.

P.S. I fricken' love Zeldris. If u guys haven't already noticed.

P.S.S… ELIZABETH RETURNS! WOOOO!

Mor Quotes:

"Sacrifice: Your role may be thankless, but if you're willing to give it your all, you just might bring success to those who outlast you" – Despair, Inc.

"To err is human; to forgive, divine" – Alexander Pope

Mor Music:

"The Devil Within" by Digital Daggers

"Bartholomew" by Silent Comedy

"On My Own" by Ashes Remain

"Last Resort" by Papa Roach

"Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation

* * *

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Seven Deadly Sins/Nanatsu no Taizai. I do own, however, this fanfiction's plot, and my version of Morgan le Fay.

Forgive me in advance for any typos or grammatical errors. I suck at editing.

* * *

Hart: noun: an adult male deer

Fay: noun: of to, or relating to, fairies.

* * *

 _Once upon a time, in the tiny village of Camelot, there was once a woman madly in love._

 _This woman's source of infatuation, however, did not apprehend her love. He loved the woman, too, but it was purely platonic._

 _Because he was her brother._

 _The woman cried and cried and cried, for she knew that her love for her brother was wrong and inappropriate. She prayed to the goddesses above to hear her plea, no matter the cost._

 _Her prayers were answered; in the form of a small child._

 _"Oh… I feel sick, I do… What in heavens shall I do… Oh? What's this?" she says one day, walking along the desolate valley that surrounded Camelot._

 _The woman had come across a curious mound of earth. It wasn't very large, but enough so that it was noticeable, especially in such a flat, barren valley._

 _Curious, and eager to forget her brother for just a little while, she kneelt down and examined it. She pats the ground._

 _Something was hollow inside!_

 _"Maybe buried treasure…?"_

 _The woman digs, not mindful of getting dirty for she already felt disgust before she had ever started digging._

 _She finds a coffin!_

 _A coffin made of purple crystal, small and elegant. It was well crafted, as if the one who crafted it had much sorrow and love in their heart._

 _But it wasn't the coffin itself that had the woman gasping._

 _It was the child inside. A child who was very, very much alive._

 _"Oh my!" she exclaimed, pushing dirt aside and frantically trying to open it. It took some work, but it finally popped open after several moments of struggle._

 _Once the woman freed the child, she gasped in aw. This little girl was a child of the Fay! Only a being such as children of the Fay had wings and magic, she concluded._

 _After the woman examined the fairy, she only finds a scab, an ugly large scab that ran down her face and torso, stopping at her hip._

 _Like someone had tried cutting her in half._

 _The woman doted on the child and took her home to her family. Camelot was more than happy to welcome the Fay child, praising the heavens for such a miraculous gift._

 _In return for their kindness, the child, who looked no older than twelve, guarded the village._

 _She would stand for hours on end, never speaking or moving. The only thing she did, besides sleep or eat, was standing guard at the entrance of Camelot. Her 'spot' was at the sword in the stone._

 _Even after years went by, the Fay child rarely spoke more than a sentence. She was like a ghost, blank and mute. The woman's family called her lovely. The villagers called her divine._

 _One day, when the woman who'd saved the Fay child was gazing dolefully at her brother work the fields, the child asked her why she was infatuated with her brother._

 _"Why do you look at him like that?" the Fay asked, startling the woman. The woman was surprised. This little lass hardly, if ever, spoke… and here she was, asking a full-blown question!_

 _The woman sighed, her heart sorrowful. "I am in love with him."_

 _"Then tell him."_

 _"…I can't, sweet child. He is my brother… We have the same parents, we live in the same household, we came from the same mother's womb."_

 _"Then make him love you."_

 _The fairy proved to be more miraculous._

 _The woman was then led back to the house, were the fairy presented her a potion._

 _"I made this myself, Madam. Give it to your brother, and he will love you. You freed me from my cage, provided me a new home and family, made your people my people, and even taught me how to read and how to write. I have read your spell books, and I found this. This is my thank-you, Madam."_

 _The woman cried in thanks. That night, she poured the potion into her brother's wine._

 _The brother fell in love with his sister. They slept together._

 _Soon after, however, the woman began to feel disgusted. Again. She felt… dirty, and shame filled her heart and head till she could not take it another minute._

 _A few days after she'd potion-ed her brother, she ran to their father in tears. When the father asked his daughter what was wrong, the woman claimed that her brother had raped her._

 _The father called the son, and tied him up in the stables._

 _The village, the woman, and the fairy, watched with horror and disappointment as the father turned the dogs on his son. The man poured pork-juice over him, and let the mutts do the rest._

 _A slow and painful death, it was._

 _"Sister-mine! You have betrayed me!" the woman's brother cried, "Because of this, I curse thee! I pray, and by the goddesses I pray they listen, that you will bare a mutant from your womb! And may it make the sounds of these dogs who've killed me!"_

 _The woman was horrified. Scared out of her wits-end, she ran to the fairy for help._

 _"The goddesses will not listen to mortals anymore," the child claimed. "They said they'd stop after the Holy War."_

 _The woman was relived to hear this, but it was not so._

 _The goddesses had heard, and heed they did._

 _The woman gave birth to a mangled mutant that barked like a dog. In disgust, the village sent her away with the monster baby._

 _"Please… please help me, one more time!" the woman cried to the Fay child before being exiled._

 _The fairy agreed to help her again, and used her magic on the mutant baby. However, what became of the new baby was not human. Its heath improved, but it only became more horrid._

 _The people called the new monster Beast Glatisant: a name meaning 'barking'. He was hideous to look at, and all who met him ran in fear of him. However, the fairy's magic had worked in some ways. Glatisant could think, talk, and act like a human. But he looked anything but._

 _Glatisant had the head, neck, and tail of a snake, the body of a leopard, the haunches of a lion, and the feet of a hart. He could talk, but his belly emitted the sounds of yelping dogs._

 _After many years ago by, Glatisant learned things, like how his mother had taken him to the fairy who guarded his village, and how the Fay child had been the one to turn him into what he was._

 _Glatisant wanted revenge. So, to learn about his new enemy, he asked her many questions._

 _Even then, the lass did not speak._

 _The village still called the child fair._

 _Glatisant would not leave the Fay child alone, however. For hours on end, he bombarded her with question after question after question—_

 _When the villagers began to notice the devil's spawn bothering their protector, they confronted him._

 _"Beast Glatisant! We demand you leave Camelot's protector alone!"_

 _"Why ssshould I? The wretched child is nothing more than a devil."_

 _"Nay! She is a child of the Fay!"_

 _They argued, fought, but Glatisant was finally exiled from Camelot._

 _And because he still wished to cause the Fay child suffering, Glatisant kidnapped her out of pure anger and spite. But because the Beast had been created by the child's magic, she was defenseless against him._

 _Glatisant quickly realized she was powerless against him, and used it to his own advantage._

 _He broke whatever innocence was left of her._

 _The Fay child was no longer fair._

* * *

"Come to daddy, Morgie-Poo!" I called out pensively, eyebrows knitted together. Morgan visibly gritted her teeth, clashing into me midair. We spun, kicked, growled, even bit. Using her as a touch down, I leaped off her knee just as she goes to punch my gut.

" _Heavenly Fire_!" she battle-cried, bringing her hands to her side. A ball of fire formed in her palms, and she shot it at me with great zeal.

" _Full Counter_!"

We fought like blood-contracted enemies. With each clash of Lostvayne and her magic, mountains crumbled and ground shook. We made Camelot's current battle look like child's play.

Morgan ripped my coat with a wing's claw, exposing the tattoo on my shoulder. I pouted. That wasn't very nice. Pulling at my coat, I shout over the turbulence, "Aw, common! This is new!"

" _Fuck you_!"

She sent more of her goddess flame at me, I countered it back, but she remained unharmed. Morgan's _Heavenly Fire_ , while being dangerous to me, was innocuous to her. So like children, we fought without causing serious injury toward the other. But, in our minds, this was _war_. And to me, _it was war_. I was sweating, panting, serious-faced, and brawling back with as much piss and vinegar as I could muster. Whatever it was we held against the other was being settled. And like they say, old habits die hard, right?

Ripping both my sleeves off, my darkness forms a wing of my own on my arm, giving me flight. I don't have time to engage in attack first, for Morgan head-butts me in the stomach, sending both of us souring through heavy turbulence.

" _Where were you when I became_ _ **queen**_ _of Cambria? Where were you when I was_ _ **raped**_ _by King Uther!? Yet you still have the fucking audacity to call me your fucking daughter!"_

I huffed, skidding across the side of a mountain. My shoes burn with the speed, and Morgan comes barreling at me again, sending more of her goddess flame. " _I didn't even know you were still alive!_ " I counter her attack, grunting loudly.

She went on, ignoring me. " _I spent nearly nine hundred years studying magic at The Fairy King's Forest! Does that not mean anything to you_!?"

" _Wa—"_ Morgan spin-kicks me in the jaw before I can answer. We go flying again, shooting up into the air and spiraling around like samara leaves.

Wing roaring, she shouts, " _How come_ _ **you're**_ _so great!? I learned fighting to a 'T' with the giants! I learned medicine with the Druids! I mastered alchemy from the Elves! I protected Cambria from its greatest foes! SO WHAT'VE YOU DONE TO BECOME SO FUCKING GREAT_!?"

I manage to sock her across the face. " _I—_ "

A punch.

" _Never_ —"

A kick.

" _Knew_ —"

A strike.

" _You_ —"

A slap.

" _Were-_ "

I add with a finishing pummel, " _ALIVE!_ "

Morgan slams into the ground, sending shockwaves of power across the plain. Her wings rise above her like some battle goddess as she pulled herself from out the hole, at least two miles deep, she indented into the earth. Spitting grass and dirt, she shoots a glare up at me with pure hate. "-'I wasn't alive'— _Bullshit_!"

She comes flying up again. We meet halfway, colliding into the other in a fit of pure rage. Like birds fighting, we claw and snap and hit with everything we've got.

" _You never came to me!"_ I yell, seething. Morgan dares to blame me for this mess? Like I hadn't tried to be the best father I could be? Sure, I really fucked up when we parted, but it's not that I didn't love her. I honestly thought she was dead!

" _BULLSHIT_!" she screamed again, grabbing onto my collar and spinning me, tossing me off into the distance. I flip a few times, and struggle to regain control of my flight. Morgan doesn't let me, head-butting me yet again and sending me off into the forest. I crash into branches, given no time to collect myself. " _I CAME TO YOU FIVE TIMES! FIVE. FUCKING. TIMES! Not ONCE did you recognize me_!"

Five times? I'm pretting sure I'd remember seeing her—

" _BUT YOU JUST LOOKED RIGHT THROUGH ME_!"

I'm thrown into the air again.

" _Once right here in Camelot! Again in Londinium! Third time was in Hibernia! Fourth was Cambria! Last time was in DANAFOR_!"

I blink, letting her toss me around some more while I think.

Had Morgan really tried approaching me? Or is she just taunting me? Was my mind so intent on blocking her from memory, that I'd just look right through her if she were to randomly appear?

I fight back again, upset written on myself, shouting out nonsense and meaningless anger of my own.

* * *

An hour goes by.

After a while of us throwing pointless blows, only getting scuffs and bruises, I begin to grow feelings of exasperation... Morgan starts acting like that, too.

Why is she slowing down, though? Doesn't she want me dead?

If Morgan wanted to battle me to death's door, like she's implied, then why be tepid all of a sudden? Where'd the zeal go? I know for a darn-well fact that she's more than capable of fighting better than what she's doing now.

What I notice, and it makes me surprised as it shows more and more, is that Morgan is starting to appear _distracted_. Her gaze kept shifting back and forth from me to the great beyond, and her lack of focus showed in her attacks. She grew sluggish, and missed her shots more than not.

When one of her magical blows goes right over my head, I hold a hand up for a question. She flinches, angrily, but goes still for me to speak. Her shoulders relax, arms lowering. "Are you done trying to hassle me!?" she snapped.

"Hmm? Whaddya mean? Getting tired, Morgie-Poo?"

Morgan glared, "This has gone far enough! I don't have time for you anymore!"

I blink, souring through air with the blankest of expressions I've made so far. My hair ruffles as Morgan shoves into me. What's happened? Did I fatally wound her already?

Morgan puffed at my stoniness and dives down. I sigh yet hold off my demonic spirit. My black one-armed wing vanishes into the pores of my skin, and I come falling after. I land on my feet with a soft pitter-patter against the earth, body light and agile from battle, and she landed with a touch-and-go run. Scents of fire and aggrivation fill my nose.

Like I hadn't even mattered or existed, Morgan was suddenly running off. Weren't we having the battle of the millennium just minutes ago?

I tilt my head, scratching my temple. I'm confused, that's for sure! Was the fight over already? Has she deemed our hissy-fit done?

At this thought, I actually feel… _relieved_.

I don't want to fight Morgan. Not anymore, at least.

Our argument was over. That much was certain, especially as I jog up next to her and she makes no move to sock it to me.

Plan B's terminated. A no-go. In the past. Killing Morgan's not going to gain me anything. Yes, I'm still pissed (so badly that I'm seeing red) at the fact she told me she used Elizabeth for her own gain, and for her nearly killing all of Britannia and neighbouring countries, but… did she have any other choice? If I've completely ignored her in past like she's claimed, she obviously saw no good in just walking up to us with Mordred and be all, "Hey, I'm your supposed-dead daughter Morgana, I go by Morgan now by the way, and this is my own daughter, Mordred, and she's really sick, but the Druids refuse to help. Mind lending me mom's hand, for old time's sake?" Yeah right.

"Morgan?" The priestess glares at me from behind a curtain of blonde hair, swinging her wings backwards to throw me off track. It almost does. "Where're we goin'?"

"' _We'_? Meliodas, I do not recall there being a ' _we'_."

Ouch. Morgan's called me by name. So, she's disowned me like I did her, huh?

"I thought you wanted revenge, right? B'sides Mordred's health—" Morgan abruptly halts.

I collide with her wings yet again. This time, I'm prepared and don't fall over. She jerks as I bump into her, and all but bitch-slapped me away with one of her wings. Her wingspan _was_ a good big bigger than me.

"Oh _goddesses_ you make me aggravated. Has it really not fucking sunk in, yet?" Morgan bitterly chided, flicking her wrist. The several bangles she wore rung and shook, mimicking the sound of heavy rain.

Her expression was annoyed. Possibly vexation. But the sharpness in her eyes told me she wasn't losing her mind, rather that she was eager to leave. Leave for _where_ was the question.

I harden my face. She thinks I'm missing something, and with how she's acting, I'm starting to believe it. But what is it? What have I not connected? Did she need to be somewhere? Was this all just a bit of steam she needed to let out?

I sheath Lostvayne and place my hands on my hips, appearing mighty. Authoritative. Parent-ly. "What'm I missing?"

" _Tsk_. Can't you see I don't have time for you anymor—?"

"—You have Elizabeth—!"

"Can't you just leave me alone, now? I'm done with you!"

"Done?"

"Yes, you bastard. Can you believe that I'm not intending to kill you?"

"Hmm… Nope!"

"…Fuck, you're still as careless as ever. Stupid, too! Well, look at me, Meliodas! I'm not trying to fucking kill you anymore! I hate to admit it, but that pleasure goes to somebody else. I just wanted to throw some punches, let some anger out! Mordred's getting better as we speak, and I have to get back before Galis— uh, before something happens. Look, we've fought, shared some words, and now I'm done. Great seeing you again, old-man. Later, motherfucker." And just like that, Morgan was heading off again, leaving me in her dust. Her left wing, I notice, was curled at the tip, as if it was broken or strained. Err, that may have been my bad.

But, that's it? I still need to come back and get Elizabeth! Ignoring her farewell, I chase after again.

We've fought till we ended up a good whiles away from the lake and caves. Now we're marching off in desolate, wide plains with scuffle marks stretching till the eye could see. Cold wind nips at my cheeks. The sun's position tells me it's around 4 in the afternoon.

"You headed back to Mordred? I can't leave without Elizabeth~!" I say, my voice opposing my expression. Not sure how I'm suppose to behave in this kind of situation…

"No, I want to go frolic in the flowers first. Fuck, what do you _think_!?"

She walked faster, keeping her gaze to the ground. A blush grew at her cheeks, but she makes no move to fly and continues to stay earth-bound.

"What've you done to your mother?" I ask waywardly, still following.

Morgan scoffed, beginning to flap her golden wings fervently, "What've _I_ done? Do you take me as a sadist?"

"Partially! But I'll be honest; I thought you were a loon—"

My daughter glared passionately at me from the side, before mumbling something under her breath. Like that, she's taking off. Ah. Okay. That's good. She hasn't broken a wing— Oh _no_ \- I know she didn't just try leaving without me! We still have stuff to settle!

"Woah—!" I sang, jumping up and grabbing onto her foot. I could just let my darkness back out and fly too, but I hated letting it take control for too long… I remember what it used to do to me.

Morgan hissed and kicked her leg. "Get the fuck off me, you bastard!"

I held onto her foot, face pressed into the side of her calf. Morgan wore golden sandals, with straps that wrapped around the calf. She, however, wanted nothing else to do with me, and struggled to throw me and her sandal off.

It seems as though I'm not a big priority to her right now. Funny, since it was only an hour or so ago we were fighting to the death. But Morgan's still my biggest priority (besides Elizabeth and Mordred, of course!).

Gosh, have I even taken a second to think about Elizabeth? She was in goddesses know-where—

I dangle off Morgan's leg, holding onto her while she clumsily flew. When it became clear I wasn't letting go any time soon, Morgan curses at me and leaned down, and grasped onto my collar. She hoists me up to her face, growling, "Are you aware that you're a real pain in my ass?" Her one big scar touches the sides of her lips, and the muscles beneath the skin visible strains. I cringe inside, but let my appearance seam lax.

"-O'course!"

She sighs hopelessly, "How am I related to you, again?"

"Well, when a Mommy and a Daddy love each other _very much_ —"

" _I am NOT listening to that_!"

Before I knew it, we had arrived back at the lake. Morgan swung me back and forth all of a sudden, before hurling me at a mountain like I was a pebble. Crashing back-first, I slide down while donning my famous poker-face.

Ouch.

Morgan folded her wings and touched ground, dashing off to a specific cave with a jump in her step. Eager, I'd stay. I stand up and wipe the dust off me, before following.

I just hope Elizabeth's all right…

A large, round door made of redwood stands in the inter-most entrance of Morgan's cave. It had a large black handle, and a slide-open peek hole that could be used inside. The door seemed new.

She knocks, face flat of emotion. Morgan flurried her feathers and fixed her skirt, but the way it held on the solid-gold tendrils spiraling around her waist and hips had it so that it wouldn't get twisted. One of her long bare legs stuck out the split in the front as she stood tall, hands on her hips in a similar fashion to how I do it.

I stand behind Morgan, curious. I'm actually really exited! Common, it's not every day you meet your granddaughter~!

Voices emit from the other side. Footsteps come closer.

The peephole slides open, but I can't see anyone's face through it. A poorly suppressed giggle sounds. I can't help but smirk back.

" _W-What's the password_?" the peep-hole suddenly slammed shut, and the voices behind the door continue to burst into childish giggles. A thump emits. A voices shushes the other.

Morgan stands at the door, stoic, yet her eyebrows are drawn together. The winged lass glances to the side, meeting my gaze. In an instant, Morgan turns her face away. She knocks again, looking ready to break the door down, but held firm to standing still.

"Mordred, open this door! Right now!"

" _T-That's not the password_ ," muffled the voice on the other side, desperately trying to sound serious, but doing an awful job.

More playful laughing.

"Well, gee, Morgan, she sure sounds healthy!" I say with a soft smile. Well, it's good that my grandkid's okay. Now it's a matter of finding out if Elizabeth was okay, too. I don't think Morgan would do something so evil as to abuse her mother... She's proven to me that she's not foaming-at-the-mouth insane, but rather, she's a cold calculating bitch-err, I mean, witch.

"Shut your damn mouth!" Morgan snapped at me.

Someone makes a loud 'shush!' towards another person, and whisperes in hushed voices from behind the wood. It's making me snigger in response. " _W-What's rule number one_!?" someone cried out in a fit of poorly concealed laughter.

Morgan began to appear… embarrassed? Her cheeks flush, but her eyes glowed with fondment.

She has a close relationship with Mordred…

I begin to frown.

Could this obvious love between her and her daughter had been us, if I had never lost my shtick on her that day, three thousand years ago? But, then again... would Elizabeth get reincarnated, if I had never done the deed that led to my Sin?

"Goddesses bless Britannia— _FINE!_ " Morgan barked, flicking her wrist at the handle. The heavy lock on the other side flipped open, and Mordred fussed about how it's "not fair".

The door swung open from Morgan's telekinesis, and she swaggered in with a vexed attitude. I follow, agog to see who and what was inside.

Lo and behold, it's the same damn cave. The same one we lived in, three thousand years ago… It's drastically changed, too, though.

Markings and drawings adore the smooth gray walls, and candle light dances across the stone like friendly ghosts. A warm yellow and white glow fills the space of the cave, illuminating it enough to be welcoming, but not too much to be painful to the human eye.

A long shelf sat on the right side of me, stretching forward toward the center of the cave. Books upon books were held in it, some of which held languages that not even I knew! On the other side sat an equally long desk. On the desk, there was an extremely fancy and detailed alchemy set. Glass beakers and swirly tubes holding liquids of rainbow; little vials holding various spices and herbs and concoctions and salts and other spell necessities. A small cauldron was held over a tiny fire, and whatever liquid it held boiled steadily, fog flowing out and onto the wooden tabletop. There's a scale and a few graduated cylinders, tinkling and tipping, pouring drops of this and that into whatever the specific alchemy set was working on.

I began to feel dizzy just by looking at it!

Beside the bookshelf was a slightly worn cot, wooden frames with messy off-white sheets; few pillows were on top with a stuffed toy wolf that smiled and showed its big sharp fake fangs.

The floor of the cave was covered in Persian rugs; some clean while others held stains of various types.

"Sir Meliodas…?"

I jerk my head back so hard I fear of getting a concussion.

Lo and behold, who was standing beside me?

 ** _Elizabeth_**.

* * *

"Elizabeth!" I cry exitedly, latching onto the princess like my live depended on it. She squeaked in response, her body tensing and her hands going to rest upon my stiff shoulders, pushing back softly. My hands immediately go to her butt, groping away like we've been separated for years instead of four days.

"Ha— It is good to see you as well, S-Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth managed out, voice high in embarrassment as I run my hands up and down her wide hips, slender waist, and up to her busty chest. Squeezing her womanly mounds with fervor, I look up at her bright-red face with a boyish lopsided smirk. She was wearing a black knee-length skirt and a purple t-shirt, giving me plenty of access to run my hands up her clothes. Elizabeth all but screamed once my callused palms clutch her pare breasts. Hehe, no bra!

" _Oh my god_ — STOP IT! THERE'S A KID HERE!" Morgan shouted somewhere in the distance, the child next to her making a whine of confusion as she shot a wing out to shield their eyes.

I face-plant myself into Elizabeth's chest, hands under her shirt, tilting my head to look at our daughter who stood a few feet away, blushing with a mix of agitation and mortification. Her left wing was stretched out, blocking Elizabeth's and mine's touchy reunion from the fourth person. A shorter female stood beside Morgan, her thin arms sticking out from the feathers of Morgan's wings, fussing out, "I wanna see! What're they doing!? Why're they hugging? Why can't I see, Mama!?"

Hands resting on Elizabeth's rump, elbows on her hips, I smile up at her honestly, "You okay?"

The princess stammered cutely, tucking a stand of hair behind her pinked ear. "O-Of course I am!"

"Ah, cool~!" I let go, my inner demon wanting nothing more than to throw Elizabeth down on that cot over there and make her mine.

My gaze falls back onto the fidgeting girl behind Morgan's wing. When my daughter saw that our 'reunion' was over, she lowered her feathered appendage with a frown.

A girl stood beside her, her mother's feathers having ruffled her wild black hair up. Her skin was fair like Elizabeth's; a little paler even, and I could smell the remains of something sickly on her. The lass's height was short, coming a little over 4-foot, and her face was round and childish, youthfulness not having faded completely.

Didn't the Druids say that Mordred was sixteen years old? Well, no surprise that she looks like a tween. Morgan had a slow growth, too.

Green eyes met mine, and I knew immediately this was Mordred. No doubt now.

"Who're you?" she asked, skepticism dripping her tone of voice.

I hold the child's gaze, face draining of the peppiness it held before. My eyes held wide, in aw even, as I study the imp beside my daughter.

 _My goddess_ … _This's my granddaughter..._

Her nose was unrecognizable, but her chin and lips definitely belonged to Elizabeth. She had high cheekbones and plump childish cheeks, with big green eyes that gaze back at me with a suspiciousness.

Morgan's wing reached back and shoved Mordred forward with a light push. Mordred stumbled, glanced back with an uncomfortable whine.

"Mordred, this is your grandfather. Play nice."

When did we all become so civil? Wasn't it only hours ago that I was preparing myself for war? Wasn't it only an hour ago that I found Camelot in shambles with my crew delirious beyond recognition? Didn't Morgan start all that? What's the sudden change in her attitude?

Am I just overreacting to Morgan's earlier overrating? Then again, mothers do crazy things for the sake of their children, right?

Morgan suddenly walked back to the door, and snatched a long staff of some sort off the wall. She turned to me, glaring still. "Watch her, you two. I'm going to lift my spell off that shmuck-crew of yours, Meliodas. Elizabeth, don't take your eye off them. Don't leave Mordred alone, either. No one in, no one out."

"O-Of course!" Elizabeth cheered with a kind smile.

Morgan flinched just before walking out, then slammed the door shut, mumbling something to herself like a chant. She locks the door, and the sound of her flying away fades into the winter wind.

I look back at Mordred.

She's in front of me now, looking up with squinted green eyes. "You're my grandfather?"

"Yup!" _Unfortunately, yes_.

"You're my mama's papa?"

"You got it!" _Must you remind me, so?_

Mordred's face suddenly relaxed. She then reached a hand up and motioned for me, cupping the side of her palm to her mouth. I spare a glance at Elizabeth, but she's walked off further into the cave with her back towards us.

Upset at her leaving, but nonetheless I lean down toward the raven. She whispers, "You gave Mama that scar, didn't you?"

The blood in my head drains into my chest. Hearts pausing in dread, I assume the worst. _Morgan's gone off and told her what a terrible person I am_ —

"Yeah," I admit.

"…It's okay."

I blink in bewilderment, pulling back to stare at her in shock. Did I mishear her?

Mordred's arms are suddenly wrapping around my neck, and she hugs me with a warm tightness that feels something like forgiveness. "Mama says it wasn't your fault… and that you feel bad cuz' of it, don't you?" What?

Did I feel bad for what I did to Morgan? Fucking hell yes I do. More than bad, actually! I'd give the world to go back and change it. But, then again, if that happened, none of us would be in this mess right now. Mordred wouldn't be hugging me right now and telling me she's forgiven me for something she has no part of, or could even fathom the seriousness of. Heck, Mordred probably wouldn't even exist.

I'm eternally gratefully for this kindness, even though I know I don't deserve it. I smile into Mordred's neck, breathing in her scent. Something about Mordred reminds me of Elizabeth and a young Zeldris. Unconditionally kind. I return her hug and pull her up, settling her on my hip. She clutches my shoulders and smiles back.

"Heh. You got my cheek bones!" I say, pinching the skin of her chin and playfully shaking her head back and forth. She pouts and shoves my hand off, jumps down, and dashes to Elizabeth who was straightening up the cot.

"Elizabeth~!" she suddenly squeaked happily, latching onto the princess. Elizabeth smiled and hugged back, finally meeting my gaze.

She had no idea this was her family as much as it was mine, did she?

 _Elizabeth... If only you knew…_

"So… What'd I miss!"

* * *

So after some minutes of getting-to-know's and catching up's, Elizabeth and I sat on the cot and watched Mordred roll around on the rugs, doing some 'play' with her toy wolf, who'd she'd named 'Wolfie'. Wow. So creative. Mordred, while being sixteen, had the mindset of someone at the age of eleven or twelve.

Elizabeth sits next to me, and I can feel her warmth radiate off of her in waves. She buzzed with as much happiness as I did. She sits me down after tending to Mordred's medication situation. Before that, however, I all but fell to the ground on my knees and buried my face into the space between her legs and cried for forgiveness. I still felt like shit for what I did to her. That's something I'd never forgive myself for. Like what I did to Morgan. But Elizabeth was understanding and lovingly stroked my hair till I calmed down, and patted the space beside her. After sitting back down, she explained her story.

"I did not know she was your daughter…" Elizabeth says after speaking her tale.

After having run from me, she came across Mordred by the creek. Mordred had run off from her mom after getting into an argument, claiming she could get water on her own without help. Morgan was busy with whatever she was busy with, so Mordred had easily slipped out and gone to the creek without anyone noticing. She had fallen down the moment she'd gotten there, but luckily Elizabeth found her in time.

"You mean Morgan?"

She nods softly, her eyes held on Mordred. "I originally believed Mordred was your daughter… At first, I assumed you and Liz had a child."

I'm tempted to shift uncomfortable, but I stay still. I set my hand over Elizabeth's. Her skin's soft. "No, we didn't. Morgan was born a long time ago."

Elizabeth's hand tightens into a fist. She doesn't hold my hand back. "I saw that Morgan was your real daughter the second we met. She looks a lot like you…"

Elizabeth, after finding Mordred, carried her back home. Upon arriving, she was not greeted by Morgan, but by (and to my surprise) _Merlin_! According to Elizabeth, Merlin was helping Morgan out with the cure, as well as looking after Mordred. Elizabeth and Morgan didn't meet face-to-face until two days ago, actually, when Merlin up and left.

Since then, Elizabeth had bonded with our granddaughter and became the unofficial housewife.

"Hey, Elizabeth…" I start, pulling my eyes from Mordred to Elizabeth. "We're still getting married after all of this is over, right?" The princess's one blue eye meets mine, but her gaze was sad. Nonetheless, a tiny smile was present on her plump pink lips. I tilt my head and lean closer, serious. I search her face, looking for reassurance that none of this changes us.

The silverette rested her other hand over our jointed ones. She gave off the smell of hopeless love. "Meliodas… You shouldn't ask me to marry you if you already have a family."

"Elizabeth," I say solemnly, "You're the only one I want. There is no one else." _There has never been anyone else_.

"…Really? What about Liz, and Morgan's mother—"

I grasp the back of Elizabeth's neck and kiss her.

She gasps, but eventually presses her lips back again my insistent ones.

"There is no one else, Elizabeth. There is never going to be anyone else," I repeat after finally pulling back, serious and desperate in a way I despise. I hate sounding so undone, but _everything_ about Elizabeth made me come undone.

Elizabeth pulled back, too, her mixmatched eyes boring into mine, searching for any reason for her to be suspicious. Her lightly bruised lips part to speak, "I—"

Then someone knocks at the door.

I'm very, very tempted to let my darkness out on whoever just did that.

"I'll get it!" Mordred shouts, standing up. Elizabeth flinches and stands up, too, blushing furiously as she rushes over to the younger's side. I pop up as well, but stay where I am.

"Remember, if it isn't your mother or Merlin, we should not open—"

Mordred barely took heed to the princess, and jumped up to open the peephole.

Her bubbly attitude vanished like the tide.

Protective senses flaring, I get up and walk over. Elizabeth raises an eyebrow, and glances out, too.

Her suddenly frightened eyes meet mine. I knew immediately that something wasn't right.

I shoo both females out of my way, the taller of the two more compliant, but staying close to my side. Mordred, however, barely moves and clutches onto my coat with vehemence.

"Grandfather-" she says, meeting my eyes. I blink, hand on the doorhandle. "Mama says I shouldn't talk to that guy."

"What guy?"

"The guy outside. She—"

Something bangs against the wood again. Sounds like a hoof clop.

"Come out, Morgana dearessssssssst. Ssssun is waning, as issss my patience. I've been altruistic to your ssssilly ssssupplication until now, sssso it isssss time to pay your due, dearie," hummed a dark, dreadful voice.

My eyes meet Elizabeth's, but both of us shrug. Neither of us know this dude. So, it was Mordred who cried out in fear. She dashed closer to Elizabeth, where she clutched onto her waist with grave desperateness.

"Mordred…?" I start, bending down to her. "Who is this guy?"

The small girl looked uncomfortable. "Mama says I'm suppose to scream as loud as I can when he's around, and to run away."

Scream as loud as she can, huh?

I don't like the sound of that.

I throw the door open, frowning. So, does Morgan have a problem with whoever this guy was—

I mean, _what_ ever this guy was.

Standing in the entrance-way was a monster. A beast, really. It stood tall on four legs, with a long scaly neck and the head of a snake; fuzzy spotty body and hoof-feet.

Yellow snake eyes meet mine. Is it just me, or do I hear dogs barking?

Sticking and rolling my finger in my ear, I regard the beast with indifference. Some monster this thing was.

"Sorry, but no visitors are allowed right now!" I say lightly with a pout. The beast blinks owlishly.

The snake-headed thing tilts its skull side to side, a long black tongue slithering in and out of its mouth. Its neck-fins flared. "I was unaware Morgana had a ssssssssson. No matter, I will just take you as well."

"Hmm?" I examine my fingernail for earwax. "I'm not her son. I'm her dad!"

The beast visiblely went rigid. It pauses before continueing, "You are the father of Morgana?"

I'm starting to get a bit annoyed.

"Yup, so beat it—!"

Morgan's form suddenly appears behind the beat. She landed loudly, goddess flame dancing and fading off of her bare shoulders and the ends of her hair. She folds her wings and stands up, staff in hand. The claws on her wings clink together. As she begins walking closer, she looks up from examining the glowing crystal at the end of her staff. Her eyes widen the second she sees our rather annoying house-guest.

What I notice the most, and it makes my once-surpressed fatherly instincts flare, is that her body goes rigid just as much as the beast's. She shivers, before practically blowing up.

" _WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE_!?" violently shouted Morgan, causing the beast to turn its large head back. Her grip on her staff tightens, her wings raising to show dominance. Like a mirror, I puff my chest out to show strength.

I've definitely been missing something.

The beast smiles as best it can with a snake-head. "Morgana dearessssst," it starts, slinking over. "What a pleassant ssurprise. Do you think rekindling your relationship with your father will stop us? I find it rather adorable you think he can help you. Was not it your father who abandoned you? Hurt you? Left you for dead?"

 _Who the heck is this guy?_

Morgan growled, "Like hell I'd let you get away with this, you child-molesting freak!"

"Ssssshame. I thought I taught you better. You will gain more out of this than loose, Morgana."

"Fuck you and your fucking plans. I may hate every-fucking-one, but I'm not about to let you and your fuck-buddies fuck the fucking the world up."

The beast shook its head again, stomping a hoof on the cave floor. "I feared it would come to thisss… I ssssee I must use force."

Suddenly, the beast whipped its tail forward and stuck Morgan. She's faster, and kicked the beast right in the jaw. Her opponent hissed and wrapped it tail around her ankle. Morgan's breath loudly hitched as the beast got a hold on her, and flung her toward the door.

I wave my two charges off, "Go, now!" Elizabeth nodded once, and hoised Mordred up in her arms and dashed off. Two worries down.

Before I can take a fighting stance, Morgan is colliding into me, sending us both backwards. I slam into the back of the cave, grunting as I hit the ground with Morgan tumbling into my lap.

Okay, this beast was seriously stronger than it looked!

"Morgana, my love, you have not changed a bit. Ssssstill weak againssst me, my dear?" The beast cooed, galloping inside the cave. I gently shoved Morgan off me, who scrambled up and grabbed her staff.

" _Come at me, fucker_!" she yelled, raising the staff to guard herself. Her eyebrows pinched together, her teeth gritted in wrath. The beast stood in the hall, waving its tail aggressively. I pull myself up, playful mood gone.

Something was seriously wrong here.

If Morgan's strong enough to go all-out against me in battle, why isn't she squishing this snake-leopard-thingy into the ground already? I can tell I'm much stronger than this guy, so what's the problem? Unless… I sense the air. Something's pretty familiar about the beast's aura, but I don't personally know this guy.

I unsheathe Lostvayne and stand beside my daughter.

"Who are you?" I demand, holding an arm out protectively in front of Morgan. She stiffened at that and slaps my arm away, but stays silent.

"Who am I? Why, Eater of Virgin Heartsss, do not you know? We are of the sssame race."

I grit my teeth like Morgan's now. "So you're an Ancient One, huh? Thought I recognized your power."

The beast hums approvingly. It steps closer, but Morgan and I step to the side. We begin to circle the other, crouching and ready to pounce. "I go by the name Glatisant, the Barking Beast. Me and your lovely daughter here have quiet the history, do not we, my love?"

I tentatively glance toward Morgan, who, upon meeting my eyes, looks ready to bust a vein. Her jaw clenches. Her eyes, wide and desperate and fearful, screamed: ' _help me already, dammit'_.

My mouth all but drops. Ahh, I see.

This scheme of Morgan's wasn't just a plan for revenge and Mordred's heath.

 _It was a cry for help_.

"I fear our delightful meeting must come to an end, Eater of Virgin Hearts," starts Glatisant, who flicked his long tail with interest. "It was quite the treat to actually come face to face with you, you, being Morgana's bastard father. I've heard splendid things about you… Like, how you tried murdering your own offspring! Did you know Morgana suffered from shell-shock for years on end? Did you know she use to wake up screaming in fear of you coming after her? Of course not, you pitiful creature."

Frowning, I clamor, "And who are you to Morgan?"

Glatisant smiled a terrible smile, the light shining off his army-green scales. Bright yellow eyes gleam maliciously. "Her everything, of coursssse," he hissed, "I was there when you were not. But, we have thingsss to sssettle, Heart-Eater. Excusssse usss for a moment?"

"Nope!"

"Thought you would ssssay that... No matter, no matter at all. Your brothersss can handle you, no?" Huh? _Brothers?_ Are there more Ancient Ones around?

He whipped his tail out again, grabbing onto Morgan's staff. _Why isn't she fighting back?_ Morgan hissed in protest, holding onto her weapon with desperation. From here, I can see another scar; this one being on her left wrist.

"You bastard!" she shouts, dangling off as Glatisant shook the staff around like a baby rattle. Morgan's skirt and wings flap wildly as she's treated like a rag-doll, but she holds on with all she's got.

"Put her down!" I yell, leaping to attack Glatisant, ready to call out my clones. How dare he!

But, I'm stopped.

Not by Elizabeth. Not by Mordred. Not by Glatisant. Not by Morgan.

Leaning into fight, I pause midway as two figures walk out between the Barking Beast and me. I look at both of them in shock and horror.

I've missed a very, very important puzzle piece.

"Hello, brother. It's been a while, hasn't it? Two, three thousand years, right? Then again, I suppose a traitor like you wouldn't care."

"H-How—"

"' _How_ '?" Estarossa chuckles, looming over me. His blonde hair frames his stubbled face. Zeldris, in all his black-cladded glory, walks into my line of vision while gripping something in both his arms.

He's holding Elizabeth and Mordred, limp and unmoving. Both of them unconscious… or—

My rage goes through the roof, blinding me from reason. _**I MUST**_ **_KILL, PROTECT, KILL, PROTECT, KILL, PROTEC_** —

"What have you done to them!?" I snarl like an animal, upper lip raised and all my muscles clenched almost painfully. My darkness seethed from my pores, my mark forming on the side of my face. My eyes glow black. The cave is filled with black purple fog. Zeldris glares at me with equally black eyes, dropping both girls onto the ground, grasping both their hair to present their faces. Mordred whines.

Estarossa, frowning sympathetically at me as if he was studying road-kill, clarified, "Have you not put it together, yet, brother-mine? Our very own niece invited us here. Isn't that right, Morgana?"

* * *

A/N: AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOOOOOOOVEEEEEE YOOOOOOOOOU!

SOOOO~:D

What're your guys' thoughts on Morgan? Is she good? Bad? Somewhere in between?

Tell me in the comments!~ Avi!


	11. Chapter 11: Long Live the King: P1

A/N: Good Evening!

I'm sowwy… I thought Estarossa was a blonde. But he's got silver hair. Woops. 'Lake Virtue', the setting of this chapter and the last, was inspired by Lake Matheson in New Zealand. I'm also sorry for this chapter being super late. I'm packed down with schoolwork and some shit's going on with my folks again.

AND ALSO—due to this chapter's length, it will be split into two parts like last time. I know, I know, I'm a terribly unreliable author.

But I love it.

Warnings for chapter: Violence and Character Death (kinda).

"To know your enemy, you must become your enemy." – Sun Tzu, _Art of War_

* * *

Escanor stood at the edge of the cliff. It was nearing dusk, so his strength and his pride waned along with the sun. However, he knew this was the worst time to become weak. His love for Merlin kept a decent amount of his strength left.

Escanor began to contemplate his reasons for going to Lake Virtue. It wasn't that Escanor was selfish, or worried for his life, it was that he feared for Merlin's safety.

Three days ago, Escanor received a letter at his bar, My Sweet Gluttony. The letter smelled like Merlin. It had her handwriting. But even though Escanor was overjoyed that his one true love had found him, and even sent a letter his way, he had too much disquiet in his system to be happy. Fear for Merlin filled his chest and head, and Escanor did not hesitate to call for Rhitta, pack a bag, and head straight for Lake Virtue.

Escanor looked down at said letter that he'd read countless times. Narrowing his blue eyes, he crumbles it in his fists. As his breath began to get shakier as sunlight declined, Escanor's anxiety levels rose. He reopened the slip of paper and began to reread the letter for the hundredth time.

 _My Dearest Escanor,_

 _I know we have been apart for ten years prior. I can only blame myself for that unforgivable act. But please heed my words when I pen that I had no other choice but to call for you now._

 _I am writing you due to a very desperate matter. Though hard to believe, I have been taken hostage by an old enemy of mine. She has imprisoned me, left me vulnerable, and disrobed me of my honor and pride. I plea to you, Escanor, my love. I cry out for you now, to answer my solicitation and of our peoples'._

 _Our enemy is no substandard horror, and is a powerful foe. She goes by the name Morgan le Fay, High Priestess of Cambria. Be wary of her unstable madness and insanity, my dear. She is not a force to be taken lightly. Morgan has outdone even the likes of me. She has mantled the country in an atrocious and terrible plague. Children stand by, helpless and sick, and watch as their families and cities get massacred._

 _I am subjugated to her torture as well, my love. No a day has gone by where I am not groveling at her feet or wailing out in agony. My pride has been stripped from me, and you are now my only hope._

 _Do not ask me how it is possible, for she is magical like myself. Morgan has impregnated me with your seed. She believes it will gain leverage over you. I am expecting four boys, but only if you rescue me now. I would appreciate it most if you came in three days, right at sunset._

 _Please, my love, save me from my cage. Listen to me now that it is not only our unborn sons and I that I ask help for. Morgan has overpowered Meliodas and the others as well. Our beloved Captain has been beaten into a hapless wretch, and the others are no better off._

 _I beg of you now, my love. Help us. Stop Morgan and her army of demons. I am chained within her home of torture, a cave at Lake Virtue, five miles east-west of Camelot. Please, my love, come to me now and stop Morgan's enslavement of Britannia._

 _You are our only hope._

 _~ Merlin_

Escanor felt sick to his stomach. This was Merlin's signature. No mistaking that.

Escanor not only had to save his love, his captain, his crew, but _four unborn sons_ as well. He was going to be a _father_.

"Well, I better start moving faster… Goddesses willing, I will be at Lake Virtue by an hour or two," Escanor whispered into the universe, shuffling forward. He tucked Merlin's letter back into his breast pocket and continued on.

 _Hold on, Merlin. I'll be there soon!_

* * *

Betrayal. It's a crazy thing, no? You think you know a guy… and then they stab you in the back. It's something that really gets under my skin— besides Elizabeth getting hurt, that it. So it's safe to say that I'm pretty upset with Morgan right now. But, I guess I should have seen this coming.

I'm struggling against hell and high waters to break free. Estarossa's ability is to deflect all those who feel hatred towards him. He's the Commandment of Love.

 _Damn it all!_

"Hush, now, brother-mine. The more you struggle, the worse this will be. But, I suppose that is better for us," Estarossa says, smiling with sticky sweetness. I all but growl at my brother, my brow furrowed with my deadliest of expressions.

"Bastard!" I roared, lunging forward, sideways, doing anything possible to get out of his hold. Though, that was only weakening me, as my disgust and hate towards him grew.

This was my fucking limit. This is where I'm ready to blow my fucking top.

Learning my crazy daughter's back from the grave? Fine. I'll get over it.

Letting Elizabeth get hurt by my own hands? It'll take a while to heal my heart and soul's wounds, but Elizabeth and I will quickly mend our bond.

Discovering I have a granddaughter, who's mother I believed to be evil but actually had a noble cause, who's dying of kidney cancer? I'm not going to hesitate on helping them, but I'll do my best to handle it.

Getting betrayed by said daughter the second I gain some trust for her? That very same daughter who goes out of her way to summon my fucking brothers who want to kill me, Elizabeth, and everything I've strived for?

Like hell I'll handle that civilly. That's it. I'm done.

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

"Estarossa," I seethe, "Let me go so we can fight like men!"

My brother, keeping me still, pinned my back against his chest. With his hold tight and his armored fingers grasping my bare arms, Estarossa forced me to watch the scene unfold before me.

Glatisant held Morgan in a vice-like grip with his tail, looking posh and victorious all at once. She bore an expression I knew well; her mouth pouted and her eyes staring off intently with heated, angered passion. Fidgeting only slightly, Morgan stayed perfectly still despite her obvious discomfort. My other brother, Zeldris, was clutching the youngest among us in his arms. Poor little Mordred, unconscious and still weak, mewled feebly as her uncle jostled her about.

Elizabeth lay motionless on her side at Glatisant's hooves. Her long silver-white hair lay around her head in a large, wild halo. Her lips were parted, face gently flushed, her eyes closed.

Morgan, her spiny golden hair tussled as she was held in the air like some rag doll, mumbled darkly as she watched Zeldris roughly handle her daughter. "Will you put me down, now? I brought Meliodas to you. I even have Elizabeth. That was our deal and more. Now, let up."

"Go on and put our niece down, Beast Glatisant," Estarossa says, kindly nodding his head. His black eyes held a frightening amount of gentleness. "She's not our main concern at the moment."

Glatisant's left brow twitched, but his tail unwounded. Once the beast's scaly tail unleashed her, Morgan scrambled to Mordred's side.

"Don't jostle her around," Morgan snapped. "She's still healing—"

"Morgan, dearest, do not pretend that you actually care. We'll start the transition soon," Estarossa said.

"And who said I don't care?"

" _You_ did, you incompetent wretch," Zeldris grumbled, the silver of his arms' armor shining in the bright candlelight. Metal clanking, he stood up straight with a tight expression.

"Zeldris has a point," Estarossa mused, "You did indeed state that you wanted nothing more but the destruction of Britannia and your father."

"And Glatisant to be killed!" She declared, where the beast behind her grumbled in amusement.

"Well, see here, darling… Glatisant has offered us something that I fear is much, much more valuable than helping you."

Morgan visibly twitched, and her green-eyed gaze grew dark as she turned her head toward Estarossa. She didn't meet my eyes. "I agreed to help you take over Britannia and Meliodas, just as long as you kill this _thing_ —" she said viciously, pointing at Glatisant, "and insure my daughter has—"

Estarossa cuts her off. "You never told us your daughter was of Pendragon blood."

"Or that she is the one everyone in the supernatural realm has gossiped about," Zeldris added.

"I would think it would be clear as to why I never mentioned it," Morgan hissed. "Turning your back is something you go against, isn't it, Zeldris? Why are you allowing this?"

Zeldris's face hardened and he shifted from foot to foot, but never took his gaze of Morgan's. "In our deal, we agreed to take Britannia, Meliodas, and kill Glatisant, so you could protect your daughter. It is in your own fault and stupidity, Morgan, that we are here. You did not specify whether or not to kill Glatisant now or later—"

"You **_swore_** to me that you lot would protect Mordre—"

"No, no we did not promise to _protect_ her from harm. Just make it so that she would not die. All we will be doing is taking her to our Father. No pure harm will be coming toward her."

"But Glatisant—"

"Morgana, love, you're ssstill ssslow in the head," Glatisant, slithering up to Zeldris's side, says as he nears, "Leave thisss to the adultsss, and let usss finissh thisss."

" _Adults_?" Morgan barked, backing away like some frightened animal. Upon nearing Elizabeth, she threw the ends of her skirts over her like a blanket, as if to protect her. "None of you have the testicles to man up and take control like I do."

"Such vanity, Morgana—"

"It's _Morgan_ ," she corrected harshly.

"Ahh, all the same minus one letter. See, my dear, you fail to see that we're not loyal to you. All we wanted is Britannia and our traitorous brother … When Glatisant told us about your lovely child here, we knew we had to assist him. You know we are only loyal to our father. This is what he wants," Estarossa said.

I looked over at Mordred. What part did she play in this? She was too young. However, the Druids' words came back to me.

Mordred was destined to destroy Britannia. But, what did Zeldris and Estarossa gain by deceiving Morgan? What would our father want with Mordred?

"You promised me you'd protect Mordred! Not throw her into the pits of hell! You all should have been turned to stone the second you lied to me! Galand was there!"

Estarossa shook his head and placed his chin upon my crown. I growled, but still remain helpless. "Morgana, you left out that Mordred is rather pivotal to us. We are not deceiving you in any way. Mordred will live, and Glatisant will not harm her. You never specified if anyone else could harm her, either."

Morgan's entire aura dropped like a brick. She stared, disbelieved, at her uncles as they shuffled about the cave. Glatisant returned to her side, and licked her cheek. She didn't move, and continued to stay frozen.

"No… we… we had a dead. You can't just—" Morgan was held back by the beast as Zeldris began to tie Mordred up with rope. The raven-haired girl began to gain consciousness, and meekly opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling.

"You bastards—" Morgan snapped, aiming her staff toward the threats around her. "You knew that by gaining Glatisant's allegiance you'd be able to keep me at bay for you to sacrifice Mordred. You planned this."

"Ah, ah," the beast cooed, "I am pleasssed you've connected the dotsss… Mordred will be the sssavior of the dark agess, yet you have power to ssstop usss from affirming that. With me dealing with you, love, they can carry on their way. The Demon King will gift me tremendousssly when we sssacrifice your spawn to him."

"You—? You're not able to hurt her, not anymore," Morgan reminded.

"I informed them of Mordred'sss identity. If you had given her to me on an earlier date, we would not be here, and I would not have to ssshare my winningsss with demonsss."

"Y—"

"Mama—" Mordred began to wake up more. She looked up from the ropes being tied around her to her mother, who stood horrified beside Glatisant. "What's g-going on…?"

"Mordred—" Morgan started to sooth her daughter, looking terrified and lost. She's interrupted by Estarossa.

"Aww, how touching. Mother and child, being torn apart again. Why are you so saddened, niece-mine? Didn't you give up another child of yours before?"

Morgan seethed. "That was _different_ —"

"How?" Zeldris butted in. "How is abandoned your own son different? I hope you feel lucky that you've been loyal to us till now, or I'd run you through because of that act."

"You _told_ them?" Morgan snapped, turning toward Glatisant. The beast smirked.

I'm lost for words.

Morgan has a _son_ as well?

"Let my daughter go! We had a deal!" Morgan begged, dropping to her knees. My daughter trembled, and tell-tell signs of guilt, worry, and terror flashed across her eyes. As Glatisant turned back to Zeldris, Morgan made a quick surprise attack. She shoot a blaze of her fire at Zeldris, who, upon contact with her _Heavenly Fire_ , burst into flames. He yelled in shock and pain. He dropped Mordred in a flash and threw his hands to his face. Glatisant was unaffected by it, and it blazed across his matted fur as harmless as ever. He made a laugh-like sound, but did nothing to help Zeldris.

Mordred cried for her mother, but Morgan was smart enough not to get her right away- or so I thought. Glatisant curled is body across Mordred like a fence, showing his fangs in a smirk. Zeldris dropped onto the ground and desperately tried to get the fire off him. Estarossa sighed and reached out to grab Morgan himself, but only then does my daughter lunge to get Mordred.

As expected, Glatisant opened his maw and captured Morgan in his mouth. Immediately yowling in frustration, Morgan sprawled in his grip with fury and hate. "Damnit! We had a deal! Fucking hurt her and I'll stake you all!" Zeldris growled at this, finally getting the fire off. He looked bewildered, but shook it off best he could. Burn marks on his face, he regained composer and marched toward Morgan with new-found intent.

"Kill Morgan along with the goddess-whore. They are of no use to us," Zeldris commanded.

"NO!" I protested, struggling even more. Estarossa had me weak, however.

"Watch as your family is torn apart, brother-mine," my bastard brother whispered in my ear, his sharp-silver hair falling in my face.

I watch, tears running down my face, as Morgan is thrown onto the ground beside her unconscious mother. She fights back, flailing like a hurt bird, but her attempts are useless as Glatisant forces his weight on her.

" _MAMA_!" Mordred screamed, watching Zeldris unsheathe his sword and march over towards the two women. _No no no no no no no no stop it, fucking stop_ —

"This is for turning our brother against us," Zeldris darkly whispered, raising his sword into the air over Elizabeth—

 _I'm sorry,_ I silently tell my family, _I'm not strong enough to save you—_

"I demand that you put that sword down, sir!"

Everyone froze.

Heads turn like coin flips, breaths are held in surprise.

" _Escanor?"_ I gasp. Joy suddenly fills my lungs and shock falls away with relief. Help had come.

"Greetings, Captain! Forgive me for being so late to the battle. I came as quickly as possible."

"It's cool! You're not too late! What are you doing here, though?" I asked, happy despite being confused. Escanor, holding onto a bit of his pride strength left, stood at the entrance. Rhitta was simi-dragged behind him, and he was on the verge of dropping it altogether.

"Merlin sent for me. She said there was a fiend here by the name of Morgan—"

"That would be me."

Escanor's blue eyes shined with acknowledgment. He marched inside and looked Morgan down, who was pinned to the ground on her belly, Glatisant holding her down. She didn't look amused – or surprised – to see Escanor here. Just annoyed.

"Are you the woman who hurt my beloved, Merlin?"

"And what if I am?"

"Then you must die," Escanor said lightly, his blue eyes shining pity for Morgan. "However, I will not be in this form for long. If it wasn't for my love for Merlin, I would already be unable to fight you until morning. I suppose having a cup of tea to discuss your execution will suffice for now? I also demand that you inform me of Merlin's whereabouts."

"Merlin's with the rest of the Sins. I'd love to have tea, but I'm currently in the middle of something at the moment. How about we talk later? I'll tell you everything once I am able. This man," Morgan suddenly stated, motioning toward Estarossa and I, "is more or less keeping me back. I'd appreciate it if you'd have a word with him first. He – and his brother – are intent on killing Meliodas, but because of his power, Meliodas is unable to fight back."

"I will comply with your simple request, Morgan le Fay. But, what of this child?" Escanor said as he turned his gaze toward Mordred, looking worried for the tiny girl bound in rope. Mordred sniffled as she wormed around.

"Leave her to me. She is my daughter."

"Very well," Escanor starts, satisfied, and then turns toward Estarossa. "Who are you, and why are you hurting my Captain?"

"This does not concern you, human," Estarossa said, tilting his head in serious thought. "Meliodas is my brother… We have old business to settle, so I highly suggest you to leave, or die."

Escanor shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I may not be at my best at the moment, but I insist you come with me so I may get to Morgan le Fay!"

Escanor was a good match to Estarossa, that much I knew. He would be unable to hate him. So, we're finally safe…

"Common now, don't tell me ya' started the party without us~!" butted in a voice I knew all too well. I grin from ear to ear. So there is hope, afterall.

"Who is it now!?" Zeldris groaned, gripping his sword harder. Ban, King, Gowther, and Diane, all stood at the doorframe, holding their chosen weapons. Diane, in her larger form, reached inside and grabbed Morgan quicker than lightning – therefor, grabbing Glatisant as well – and took them outside.

"I'm gonna wish you never came here, Morgana!"

"My name is _Morgan_!"

"Don't have all the fun now~! I gotta bone to pick with her, too!" Ban growled gleefully, bloodlust on his face as he exited the cave in favor of Diane and my daughter.

"Hey- wait! Let me fight her as well, D-Diane! She hurt you, too!" King flew after, with Gowther shrugging and following along.

"She has offended and threatened my comrades. I shall assist you in defeating her," Gowther said before leaving.

"Was that Gowther…?" Estarossa mumbled. I ignore that statement.

"LET ME GO YOU SSSCOUNDRELSSS!" Glatisant, squished between Morgan and Diane's hand, hissed loudly as he was squeezed nearly half to death. Morgan, despite all the death-threats from my friends, remained surprisingly calm. I would laugh, knowing Morgan could fight all of them easily, but my pre-smile vanishes as I hear the on come of more people.

The other Ten Commandments.

As they began to confront one another outside, Estarossa dropped me to my feet. Though holding onto my collar with one hand, he prowled up to Escanor with an equally pitying frown. Escanor, however, was beginning to loose power.

"Do not think you can defeat me, human. I am the Commandment of Love."

Escanor gave a well-humored laugh, albet shaky. "Hehe, love? Can you help me get to Merlin, then?"

"Wa- no, mortal, not like that. Anyone that holds resentment towards me will loose their power. I will not be affected by your attempts at defeating me."

"Then I suppose you won't mind me doing this~?" Spoke another new voice.

"Merlin!" I smiled, as a magical attack came barreling towards us. As my brothers are blinded by a fog of smoke, and Estarossa's grip is loosened, I jump forward and head for Elizabeth. Scooping her up onto my arms, I head next for Mordred. Estarossa's presence leaves the cave, along with Escanor's and Merlin's. Now it was only Elizabeth, Mordred, Zeldris, and myself.

"Grandfather!" Mordred cried for me, struggling against her bounds. I sooth her as best I can as I hoist her up with Elizabeth—

"Not so fast, brother," Zeldris said, finding me in the thick fog.

"S'up, little bro," I greet quietly, hand protectively held over Mordred. Zeldris narrowed his black eyes in hate, and the demonic symbol above his left eye dances across his skin.

"Give the girl to me," he spat, holding out his hand. I shake my head firmly, flexing my bare biceps.

"Then we end this now," he said. He's fast, and I feel a sad spark of pride for him. He's gotten stronger, but that's not something I should feel proud about right now. Sending a small apology toward Elizabeth and Mordred, I jostled Elizabeth over my shoulder and hold Mordred by her ropes. I pulled out Lostvayne and lunge. As Zeldris's sword loudly clanks against mine, we meet halfway in a clash of fury.

"You abandoned us! You abandoned your clan! And it was all for that wretch?" He said viciously, smoothing fighting along with me as I battled one-armed. He flits again, managing to steal Mordred from me. It leaves me dazed for a split second. I grit my teeth, but continue on. Both of us fought with a girl over a shoulder.

Mordred cried out for her mother again, and the commotion from outside began to change. The fight in the valley grew louder. As for my other brother, and Escanor, they had taken their battle somewhere else. Merlin must have joined them. Commandments, Sins, Knights— I wasn't too sure who was outside, now.

Elizabeth started to regain consciousness, and I felt her sluggishly squirm in the dip of my neck and shoulder. Her hands come up to paw my lower back for support. I patted her rump reassuringly. This is not a place I can guarantee her safety. _I'll end this soon, Elizabeth,_ _Mordred_.

" _Fuck it all_ ," Morgan, making a sudden surprise return to the cave, mumbled as she used her wings to beat back the magic fog. As our vision cleared, the priestess speed-walked in and grabbed my shoulder, jerking me sideways. She leaned beside me, suddenly pressing against me as if trying to urgently tell me something important, but pulled away rather quickly. She abruptly snapped her fingers at Zeldris to get his attention. I half expected something to happen, but nothing did. Zeldris narrowed his eyes. "You," Morgan, aimed toward Zeldris, says while sounding authoritative and high. "Glatisant isn't available now to stop me anymore. So, fight us both, you die. Fight me, you die. Fight only my father, you just might get what you came for," Morgan informed him lowly. "Leave Mordred and company here; it is for theit safekeeping. So unless you wish to kill Mordred accidently while fighting Meliodas, let me take her along with Elizabeth: she's just dead weight. They are of no use to anyone right now."

"Do not jest me," Zeldris growled. "I know you will try escaping from this. Your schemes—"

A blackish-yellowish hue flashed over Morgan's eyes. She cut Zeldris off with an annoyed scoff, like what a queen might do when looking upon some arrogant peasant. "Schemes? I may be the bastard child of both your enemies, but I never asked for that fate. I am still your family, and I have not betrayed you in any way. You represent Piety, so attempting to kill me would kill you."

Zeldris glared at the taller one, looking pissed off by having to take commands from his partial enemy. "I may have sworn to protect my family and clan, excluding those to turn their back, but that does not mean I like you."

Morgan eyes Zeldris with clouded vision, raising her staff as a warning, glaring as if to imply, " _I double-dog dare you to try stopping me,_ ". Zeldris, loyal to his Commandmen, did not move to attack her. He listened and set Mordred down. Immediately upon touching the ground, the girl clumsily ran into her mother in a frightened mess of whines. Morgan snapped Mordred's ropes off, despite the awkward silence between us all. Sounds of war and clashing of swords grew like a raising tide from outside.

As Morgan and Zeldris argued over something that lost my interest, I felt Elizabeth squirm again. I quickly set her down as well and help balance her. Her gaze was off, and I knew on sight she'd have a concussion. While tucking hair behind her ear, she reached out with her free hand and grabbed mine. "Sir Meliodas," the princess started, but I gently cut her off.

"I'm here, Elizabeth. Wait for me, alright?" I say, grinning. I'd feel better to hear her say she'd be waiting for me once this nonsense was over, and that we'd run the Boar Hat together and get married and—

"Meliodas," she interrupted in a low, serious tone. I blinked, poker-facing. "Please, hold on a moment—It is about Morgana, you need to hear this—" Elizabeth took a deep breath, lost her balance if not for my supporting hand, and continued on. "Meliodas, listen to our—your daughter. Please."

"W—"

"She's good, Meliodas," Elizabeth insisted, pressing against me. She placed her hands over my bare shoulders and leaned in, lowering her voice as if not to attract attention. I try to pay more attention on her words than the feel of her skin touching my skin, and how she's drunk with sleep and seriousness. Like bedroom eyes— _damnit, me, stop it_. "We've talked—before you came, that is, sir—Morgana has a good soul. I've seen it—I, I just know she is someone to trust. She is our ally."

"Elizabeth, I think you might have a concussion," I tell her softly, not wanting to offend her and her sudden dizzy spell, rather, to gentle press that she needed to seek medical help. Elizabeth regarded me with a half-glare, stepping back to take all of me in. "Morgan is on dangerous grounds with me, so unless she can go back in time and erase this mess from ever happening, I'm not trusting her yet."

"Morgana's good," she insisted again, tilting her head down with a furrow of her eyes. "I am not delusional, Sir Meliodas. I know, she seems harsh, and- but- just trust her. Please."

I glance over Elizabeth, and watch Zeldris and Morgan get on the verge of an argument. Mordred kneeled behind her mother, burring her face within her parent's skirts cupped in her hands. I can't tell if she's crying or praying.

I had a family to look after, now. Not only Elizabeth, but Mordred, too. Elizabeth's powers, while strong and much appreciated, aren't of any use right now. We were at war, not rescue support; that much was clear! And Mordred's much too young for this right now. She was also recovering from being terribly ill. Elizabeth and Mordred were beloved innocents, and had to be taken to safety. Like, right now.

As for Morgan, I still had no idea what to think of her. She was no longer my main goal. My main 'goal' was her, the demon clan, and that snake-guy. Plus, I knew she was strong and skilled enough to be independent and non-worried over in battle.

"Take the girls, **now** ," I told Morgan, who tilted her head sideways towards me. Her expression said: I'm grumpy but tired. She almost seemed lusty, but not in a sexual way. Morgan murmured her last 'warning' toward Zeldris before moving from her spot. He stood stiff as a board. Morgan nods to me and transformed her staff into a tiny cube, which she clicked onto her golden belts. Zeldris seemed extremely displeased at letting the girls go.

Morgan plucked Mordred up like she was a sack of potatoes. She motioned for Elizabeth with a quick wave, but the princess gripped my hand harder. I smiled and gripped hers back. "I'll be okay," I say. After all, even if I get killed, I'll come back—no. There wouldn't be enough time to save everyone, then. Poo, I'll have to really notch it up this time.

Morgan gave me one final look before picking up Elizabeth as well. Being an inch or so taller than her mother, they fumbled awkwardly around with the other until Elizabeth could be held securely by Morgan, and Morgan have the ability to fly, still. Elizabeth was her kind concerning self, but the winged priestess seemed to want nothing to do with her besides grunt in response to something. Yet, Morgan held Elizabeth tight.

I'm beginning to think Morgan may have borderline syndrome.

I watch them catapult themselves out of the cave and into a wave of clashing metal and bodies.

Shit, I thought to myself, running outside. Zeldris did not hold onto civil formalities like he did with Morgan once she left. Rather, he was back to being vengeful baby brother.

Zeldris is fast, and I am not too cowardly to admit that he is indeed faster than I. I'm not going nowhere, either.

The peace that Lake Virtue once held was gone, I note as I watch the scene before me once I step outside. It had all been replaced by pure madness. It was not only my crew, and my brothers' crew, but members of the demon clan outside of the Ten Commandments, and Holy Knights from every city I've ever known. I even spot Gilthunder and Howzer, but neither where in a position to have a nice chat. Diane and Drole where not the only giant warriors, and King and Gloxinia were not the only fairies.

This was indeed a Holy War. But, how had they all come here so quickly?

Zeldris gave me no time to contemplate more. "Brother," he grumbled, before ramming into my back like a ram, sending me flying over the mountain range.

* * *

I gasp as another heart of mine is ripped out of my chest.

Zeldris seems to be my match. Upon the moment he'd taken us to a 'private' area to spar, he'd taken me completely off-guard and cut my right arm off. Ouch.

This fight was nothing compared to Morgan's and mine's earlier spat. This was a fight-to-the-death battle, winner-takes-all, deal. My baby bro, little Zeldris, once the sweetest-darn-thing I'd ever met (before Elizabeth), had transformed into a man of hard-work, honor, and loyalty. Our fight had been brutal. He'd gotten stronger than I could ever imagine.

I'd used my clones from Lostvayne until I literally could take no more energy from myself, and reasoned with one-on-one combat. That sucky action, albeit necessary, was in Zeldris's favor. I knew upon our first clash of swords that he had grown stronger. And faster. And smarter.

Zeldris's loyalties, once upon a time, use to rely solely on me. Now he's all against me. He was in full allegiance to his clan—his family. Him, being the Commandment of Piety, could overpower anyone who turned his back on him. On his part, if he turned his back on anyone, I'm sure the result would be fatal to him. Zeldris had given his word to the Demon King – the demon clan – so that had given Morgan that leverage earlier. Since she hadn't 'betrayed' them, he could do nothing to her.

Welp, I suppose I'm no longer family to him, then.

Zeldris had ended up ripping five of my hearts out. With his bare hands.

I'm honestly saddened by this. Morgan, while being my daughter, had implied that she wanted to kill me. Yet I think I knew all along that my inner demon would not let me hurt her seriously. Or vise-versa. Now that I think of it, every attack I initiated towards her was a hit (which proved futile), and I had countered all of her own attacks (again, futile). Even she hadn't tried her best for long. It was actually… _nice_ to brawl with Morgan like that.

Zeldris and I are on a whole different level. He honestly wanted me dead.

"You, brother, are a _traitor_ , a _liar_ , and a _cheat_ ," he accused vivaciously; slamming me into rock. Pain flared across each and every nerve I owned with each brute punch into my gut. I forced myself to suppress the whimpers within my throat. They threatened to fall out at any moment, but I refuse to look wimpish within my brother's eyes. I'll take my beating like a goddessdamn man. "How does it feel to be overpowered by someone you care about, huh? Get kicked around like you're sac of dog shit—" he shoved me down onto the ground, where he then violently jammed his boot into my crotch. Stars filled my vision. He remained calculative, slowly walking close towards my face. "Or get pulverized into crap like rotten meat," he added, then kicking my face. I jerked, feeling a tooth or two come loose. He then leaned down and grabbing my collar. I meekly glare at him, gasping as he tosses me aside like a pebble. I spat blood off to the side, my body too busy shaking like a leaf in a storm to do much else.

I'm getting an odd since of déjà vu.

"Look here, now! It's Meliodas—Or, in the modern Britannian tongue, I suppose it would be translated as ' _Eater of Virgin Hearts'_. Hmm. How far you have fallen, my brother… I use to believe we were the best of friends, as well as brothers. I looked up to you."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Zeldris bitch-slapped me point-blank. "No, you're not sorry. Be glad I'm not Galand, or you would be stone by now."

I chuckle humorlessly. He booted my side again, causing me to spit up a chunk of blood and whatever acidic fluid that remain in my stomach. Coughing, I squirm in frustration with it all. Again, he kicks me in the stomach, like how a tamer would scold a very bad dog.

Zeldris let me finish being sick before hoisting me up again. "Do you have any last words, brother?" my brother asked quietly, his eyes blacker than a raven's wing. He pulls me close but then shoves me up again, slamming me against the rather vertical mountain wall.

"Yeah," I mumble through bloody, bitten lips. Licking a teardrop away, I gaze down at my brother as he shoves me up into a stranglehold. "Why are you doing this?" I wheeze, "Zeldris, this doesn't—"

"'Doesn't have to happen'?" He offered, sarcastically, despite naturally speaking low and seriously. "Revenge, brother, is something I have wanted for a very long time."

I cough just before a high-pitched whine leaves me as Zeldris throws me down again. Although ragged, bleeding, and struggling to beat the demon blood within my body with only two hearts, I manage to ignore my pain. My mind was solely focused on saving my family and my friends. Blood dribbled down my swollen bottom lip, and I couldn't do much else than gaze wearily at Zeldris through my eyelashes. I was littered in scabs, scrapes, wounds, broken bones—Zeldris had indeed defeated me. And I still can't believe it. I was the strongest of all demons, it seemed. But someone had beaten me at that. Zeldris's actually worn me out bone-tired. To my utter surprise, he had actually managed to rip past my power level by nearly a thousand points. This was an actual, fair, fight. No tricks like Estarossa's. Zeldris possessed true, unadulterated strength.

Zeldris pointed his curved sword against my neck, threatening to break the skin, as if it already hasn't. I rose my right shoulder, the stub of what was left of my arm bleeding and trying to keep me alive. My demonic symbols, while powerful all on their own, could only do so much. I'm on two hearts. I was as good as dead by now. _I'm sorry, family_.

"Do you know why we are here, Meliodas?" he asked, picking me up again, doing the usual slamming of me against the rock. He barely had to move besides bend up and down. "Morgan invited us here."

"N-No—"

"Still believe she's your ally? I will have you know, that she came to us, on her own, seeking our assistance."

"To… To kill Glatisant… right? Why?"

"Your daughter has powers of both demon and goddess alike," Zeldris said with a sigh, turning his head to look at the sky. Dawn was coming. He turns his face back to me and continues. At least he has the decency to tell me what's going on. "Sometime long ago, Morgan had used her magic on a crippled babe of an incestuous relationship. Obviously, she had no idea in hell of what she was doing then. Glatisant was that result. As you have noticed, he's an Ancient One like us, so he can't be killed unless it's with a Sacred Weapon. Morgan can create Ancient Ones without using illegal means or bending the laws of physics too far. The catch is that anything _living_ she makes will be completely immune to every offensive attack she makes, with or without a Sacred Weapon. Against Glatisant, Morgan is vulnerable to all offensive attacks from him."

Pinching my eyes closed for a brief second, I let the information take place. So, if this Glatisant guy wanted to hurt Morgan, he could easily do so by hurting Mordred. He had said something about taking her earlier… Poor Morgan would have no chance of saving her daughter. No wonder she cried out for help.

"Why… why do you want Mordred?"

Zeldris's nose flared, but his expression stayed stoned. "Pendragons had an ability to nullify all offensive attacks against them. This is why Arthur has risen to power so quicky. However, Morgan is powerful through physical and spiritual means as well—not just magical. Their union formed Mordred, and that baby has a price on its head wilder than any imagination. Glatisant has desired that reward as well."

"So… Mordred is gonna be powerful?"

"How would we know?" he growled lowly. "Prophets and Priests alike have foretold of a child born from a mother of both darkness and light, half-sister to the Once and Future King of Britannia, who will end the reign of peace and bring darkness back to the four corners of the earth. What Mordred is meant to do or why she will do it is unknown. Father has personally asked me for this child. Who would have thought that that blasted imp of yours was still alive, and the mother to the very same child."

"Every living thing she makes could hurt her… does that include her children? Y-You said she had a son. Tell me. Tell me about her son," I rasp. I let out a weak breath, feeling cold and numb. My fingers – the remaining ones, that is – tingle with ice nips.

"I do not know much. She had a son with King Urien in Hibernia seventy years prior. From what we have learned from Glatisant, Morgan left him right after killing the father in favor of return to Britannia to open a damn bar."

I frown harder upon learning the new information feebly. Gosh. This grandson was an old man by now (assuming he was more human than not). "What are you planning on doing to Mordred?"

"Father gave me this," Zeldris pulled out a long black knife from his belt and presented it to me. "It's an enchanted demon blade, that sends whatever it stabs into the demon realm, directly to father, while their still alive and breathing. It does not kill, just transports. But it will only work once, and if pierced through the heart. Father wants Mordred under his wing."

"…What was the deal Morgan made with you?"

"She wanted us to kill Glatisant and insure her daughter will live, and in return, she would tell us of your whereabouts and assist us in taking over Britannia by keeping goddesses away."

"But… isn't that betraying her?"

"I always keep my word," Zeldris gloomed. "I plan on killing him after we send Mordred to our father. Stabbing her with the enchanted demon blade will not kill her, so I never lied. Besides, once this is over Morgan will want nothing to do with us. She will be betraying me then by not helping us. She already hates us, hence the weakness back at the cave with Estarossa's Commandment."

 _You son of a bitch_ , I growled inwardly. "You—!"

Zeldris suddenly snapped his hand down, quickly as if reflex when slapping a fly. Instead, she shattered my left kneecap like a nutcracker doing what it does best. " _MMM_!" I clench my teeth together, an involuntary tear rolling down my bloodied cheeks, as pain flares up my leg and hip. Fuck, that hurt.

"Enough talk. It is time we head back. I promised Estarossa that we would kill you together. If possible, that is."

Before I knew it, he had scooped me up like a child and flitted off back toward the main valley.

The war had grown. There were knights here whom I could not identify. How they all got here so fast, I didn't know. With the sun peeking, I immediately looked for Escanor, but saw no signs of him or Estarossa. I did see, however, Morgan. And Glatisant. And Mordred. And Elizabeth. Shit! How did he get to her in this crowd!?

Zeldris landed beside Glatisant via making a crater in the ground. The beast swayed his big fat head to the side, a barely surprised look on his snake-y face. He held Morgan up by her staff, pressing it against her neck and forcing her up against the cliffs. "Zeldrisss," he hissed greeting, his hooves clopping against rock as he lets Morgan go and stands back on all fours. Morgan fell to the ground in a loud 'humph!', her wings twitching and twisted awkwardly. She didn't move.

"Where is Estarossa?"

"Once the sssun rossse, that pessky human grew twice his sssize. Thisss place could not contain their fight, ssso they took it elsewhere."

Zeldris glared. He looked toward the two younger females by the beast.

Elizabeth and Mordred had been tied up again. They sat back-to-back upon a mound of flat earth. Elizabeth was out-cold again, with a blood trail dripping down the side of her temple. Mordred cried loudly once she saw me, clearly traumatized by what was taking place. I'd give her a thumbs up to tell her it's all fine, but I'm not fine, and I can't guarantee this situation will win in my favor. I couldn't even smile at her to calm her down. Rasping, I squirm like some worm as I try to move.

"I don't have time to wait for him. Beast, leave my niece alone and untie the child. I will send her to father now."

Morgan perked up at this. Beaten into a pulp, just like me, the once gloriously beautifully mad priestess I call daughter lifted her shaking head up and whined a weak, "N-No—".

"Ah, I will, I will… First, one more thing," Glatisant said, trotted backwards, then jumping on Morgan's back. She didn't even scream, just froze with her torso and legs arching upward, fingers spread apart in nerve-wracking pain. A whine left her gasping mouth.

Glatisant leaned down to her ear, head waving back and forth hypnotically, and whispered, "I always told you, my love, that I would have you back as mine someday. This time, you won't leave."

Glatisant's fangs extended, his maw opened, and he bit down on Morgan's right wing. And I can't do anything to stop it.

Morgan starts screaming now. It even caused some fighters to stop in shock. Zeldris glanced away. Glatisant pulled his head back like he was playing tug-of-war with her wing, and the snapping of muscles and tendons and bone was sickeningly audible.

As my shock and horror drains the remaining color in my face, my head fogged up and muffled the sounds around me. Mordred's shaky, panicky, and mortified cries and petrified whines were like white-sound in my ears.

Morgan's blood-curdling cry was nothing like Ban's. This was mixed with sadness, and emotional pain—not only physical pain. Tears streaked her bruised and reddened face as Glatisant tugged her wing off her back like he was plucking a wing off a cooked chicken. He did it excruciatingly slow, dislocating the bone and tearing the tendons delicately. Pulling it out nice and slow. Blood spurted and both Morgan and Glatisant were drenched in crimson splatters, muscle popping and squelching and feathers falling. When the last tendon was snapped between her and her wing, Glatisant kicked his head back and threw the detatched limb into the sky. It, once a majestically grand wing belonging to a majesticlly beautiful person, dropped heavily with a loud flop in dead weight.

"That was rather dramatic," Zeldris stated, turning back.

"It will grow back," Glatisant explained heartlessly, blood dotting his green-brown scales. "Believe me, I have ssseen it done countlesss timesss."

 _Oh, dear Goddesses. He's done that before_.

Morgan went limp in defeat, whining and worming on the ground like a dying fish on land, not knowing what to do with her body. She only had one wing, now.

"Now, Mordred…" Glatisant went on, and trotted off toward the other females. Mordred was too traumatized to say or do anything.

Mordred's going to be scared for life by this.

"And you, brother," Zeldris said, bending down to me, "Aren't going anywhere." He went on to ripping my other heart out. Upon plucking it from my chest cavity, he squeezed it in his fist. Zeldris then wiped the remains of my second-to-last heart on his pants leg as if it was dirt.

 _One left_ , I thought with worry. My brother walked off to Glatisant, leaving me to die slowly.

As I'm waiting to die, using the tiny bit of consciousness left in me to pray for a miracle, I hear a whisper.

"Meliodas."

I peek an eye open, sprawled on the ground helplessly. My eyes, black and swollen, could barely let me see.

"Meliodas," she said again. Morgan, by the goddesses, wasn't out cold yet. To my utter shock, she's rather awake. Blood painted across her back, detached wing laying nearby forgotten, while her remaining wing folded outward beside her. "Give me Lostvayne."

"…Hm?" I have a hard time even making sound.

"Give me your sword," she whispered, bucking her chin as best she could to my sword. I just tiredly blink at her. Seeing I was as good as dead, she whimpered woefully. "Fine," she rasps, as if deciding something. Morgan lifted an arm and pointed her finger at me. A soft light of magic glowed from her finger, and it trailed and spun in the air toward me.

As it hit me, I felt my pain subside and a heavenly feeling of numb pleasure washed in its place. Spirits soaring, I believed she had healed me. Yet as I try standing, I find it hard to move. Awfully so. Whatever she did had given me a bit of strength—

though small, it was still strength.

"Get me Lostvayne," she repeated. I'm all for ignoring her statement and going up to Zeldris like an idiot and attempt killing him. But that would be a suicide mission. As I decide what to do, Elizabeth's words come back to mind. _Listen to your daughter_.

I looked at Elizabeth— unconscious yet still beautiful.

I used the tiny bit of energy Morgan had given me and tossed Lostvayne over to her.

Morgan didn't smile nor thank me, but took it and placed her hands over the blade. Panting in great discomfort and effort, magic danced around her hands and my sword.

When she lifted her hands back up, she showed me what she had made. It's a replica of the enchanted demon blade.

"Replace it with the real one," Morgan instructed, tossing it back.

What? Did she think killing Mordred instead of having her sent to the Demon King was better? What about all that careful planning she had done in order to heal Mordred?

"I can't do it. I'd be betraying Zeldris."

I blink, too depressed and lost at this point to resist. I do as she asked. Both of them occupied, it was easy to sneak behind Zeldris and Glatisant. I replaced the reshaped Lostvayne with the enchanted blade, and rolled back over to Morgan. I sat the real enchanted blade beside my daughter. I settled next to her. The bit of strength she gave me quickly left.

"Morgana, sweetie, I—" I rasp, dropping my head on her shoulder. I still wasn't sure what to think of her, but I did know one thing.

She was my daughter. She was Elizabeth's daughter. She had lived a long, hard life. I loved her, and there was no changing that. I may not like her choice of actions, like leaving a son so she could run a tavern, but I still loved her.

"It's _Morgan_ —ah, to hell with it. Call me whatever," she whispered meekly, energy seemingly gone from her.

I sighed a heavy sigh, my body numbing with loss of blood. "Why… why did you change your name?"

She took a second to answer. "Morgana was killed by her father. I am Morgan, and you are not my father."

It hurts to hear this, but I accept it. "Morgan…"

"…Hm?"

"I love you."

"I know." ' _You would have already killed me if you didn't_.'

"…Meliodas?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry. I forgive you."

"I know. I'm sorry, I forgive you, too."

We went silent, but a tiny piece of peace settled in my chest.

Mordred was untied and separated from Elizabeth, and set aside by Glatisant. Mordred was so shell-shocked, pale and frozen, that she didn't even resist. Zeldris was speaking to Glatisant, but I couldn't hear them. As Zeldris unsheathed his knife, a movement formed at the corner of my eye.

Elizabeth was stirring again.

Elizabeth was strong. Yes, she was physically weak in this current form of hers, but Elizabeth had the determination of an army of wildebeests. She was groggy upon waking up, but once her eyes settled on Zeldris raising the knife to Mordred, she sobered up immediately.

 _No. No no no no no Elizabeth, don't you bloody_ _ **dare**_ _, not_ _ **again**_ — " _E-Eliza_ —"

" **MORDRED**!"

" _ **MOTHER**_!"

Then Zeldris was spattered with blood.

* * *

 _"Please, make them stop," Elizabeth cried against my neck. I hugged her close, burying my fingers in her soft hair._

 _I didn't like this either. But Morgana was being sacrificed in favor of the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. The greater good. She was, after all, not… well. I loved my little girl as much as my mate did, but nothing could stop this from happening._

 _I fought back tears of my own as I watched the goddesses set the little girl down on the keys of the coffin. She was too innocent – or too dumb – to know what was happening. A butterfly flew by, and she reached out to grab it. She was successful, and crushed it in her fist. Upon examining it, Morgana eats it._

 _"It's for the best," I whispered into Elizabeth's skin._

 _"She's my baby," she rasped._

 _"Mine too…"_

 _"I- I- I can't watch."_

 _"Then don't."_

 _"Meliodas, please—"_

 _"…Elizabeth. There's nothing we can do."_

 _Naturally, Elizabeth could not be swayed from the visibly rising rebellion in her. She had left her life of spirituality for one of mundane domestic romance, which quickly turned into oddly charming domestic family fluff. Elizabeth was a mother as well as my mate._

 _There was nothing Morgana could do that would make Elizabeth stop loving her. I knew that. But I wasn't sure if I felt the same. Morgana had ended our blissful life together. I've heard terrible stories from Elizabeth's friends that it wasn't unusual for couples to separate over the death of a child._

 _"I won't let them hurt her."_

 _"Elizabeth. She killed your Mother Goddess without a care in the world."_

 _"I don't care. Morgana's my daughter."_

 _"Elizabeth," I tried again, but my mate tensed up even harder as we watched the goddesses prepare to kill Morgana—_

 _" **MORGANA**!" Elizabeth tried, ripping out of my arms and bolting forward, unable to stop herself._

 _I couldn't process what happened too clearly, just that Elizabeth was in my arms one minute, and the next, she was gone._

 _There wasn't enough time. There wasn't enough sanity. I was too slow or too stunned; both hindered me from stopping this._

 _Elizabeth just couldn't stand by and watch our daughter play the part of the sacrificial lamb. No mother would._

 _I was just a bad father, it seems._

 _When the execution power went upon my pretty, doe-eyed, four-winged mate, I saw red as I watched the red spill from Elizabeth._

 _I grabbed Excalibur and took my anger out on everything else._

* * *

Merlin obviously wasn't going to get involved in the battle. She wasn't any more powerful than a wimpy mage's apprentice at the moment. Instead, Merlin had spent the entire night with Escanor, hidden in a tiny secret cave. When the man's power vanished once he saw she was okay, and the sun at officially fallen, he was useless to the Big Plan. So, using the tiny bit of power she had left, Merlin stole him away before he got killed.

When Escanor saw she was fine, Merlin explained some things to him. He was informed that the letter he had received was actually written by Morgan herself, not Merlin. Merlin had never been 'tortured' by Morgan in any way. She then told him what Morgan's plans where, and how it affected everyone else. After, they talked about baby stuff.

"H-How is it that Morgan, um, ah, impregnated you, without me being w-with y-you?" he had asked her, small and shy. She was fond of the night's Escanor. But then again, she was also fond of the day's Escanor. Merlin didn't have a preference over which form Escanor took. Both of his forms were sweet to her.

"Simple, actually," she explained, pressed up beside him. "She could have easily given you a wet-dream and collected the remains while you slept. I think you understand the rest, darling~?"

Escanor blushed, knowing exactly what 'wet-dream' Merlin had unknowingly implied. Embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck. "M-May I ask why she did it? If Morgan's actually helping us, why would she impregnate you? I would have come with or without knowing you were with child."

"I know, love. But that's between her and myself, I'm afraid," Merlin says with a finger to her lips. Escanor nodded, respecting her privacy. He always had.

"Is it true you're expecting four boys?"

" _We_ are expecting," she corrected. "And yes, it's quadruplets," she pats her belly. Before long, she'll be round and fat. She'd have to say goodbye to her booty shorts for the meanwhile. Drat.

"…What about n-names?"

"Names~?" Merlin perked up. She hadn't thought of that, yet.

"Well, hehe, I've always liked the name Gawain."

"Hmm… I take a liking to the name Agravain."

"What about Gaheris?"

"Ah, don't forget Gareth~"

They decided those were all perfect names, and agreed on it.

As they waited for morning, they talked some more and bonded. Both agreed on fixing up an estate in the country once this war was all over. They would marry, and raise their sons there.

"Ah, right, and one more thing~" she cooed as the sun began peeking. As Escanor's power levels began rising again, Merlin stopped him before he left to fight Estarossa. "Promise me this. If anything is to happen to both you and I, I want Morgan to be the godmother of our children."

Escanor blinked, but understood Merlin's reasoning. "Yes, of course, darling."

Merlin smiled and relaxed, recrossing her legs. Escanor smiled lovingly at her before going on his way.

"Long live the king," Merlin chuckled to herself as Escanor left.


End file.
